Hebrews 4. We’ve been reflecting on the command to not harden our hearts in rebellion (3:8) and studying the way that many of God’s people in the nation of Israel did not follow him with all their hearts. God was provoked by the rebellious hearts of his people, and he swore they would not enter his rest. Hebrews 4 offers more insight into this rest that some obtained, and others did not – let’s consider this concept of rest.

As we read in Exodus and Numbers, the nation of Israel was freed from slavery in Egypt and God was taking them – through the desert – to the promised land. The promised land was to be a physical place overflowing with milk and honey and a place where they could rest in freedom and peace. Some of them made it to the rest of the physical promised land, many others did not. Here’s the thing – the physical promised land was a type of symbolism; it represented the type of rest and peace that could be found by dwelling in God’s presence.

So read carefully today’s text: Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest still stands, let us fear lest any of you should seem to have failed to reach it… For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on… (4:1,8). The author of Hebrews writes this letter several thousand years later, stating that the promise of entering God’s rest still stands – and we should be careful how we live so that we also enter into it. Clearly there is more to this than some land in the Middle East that is never at peace.

There are two kinds of rest promised to God’s people today. First there is a rest that comes from a relationship with Jesus. This is a spiritual rest for weary souls, who take refuge and comfort in God. Jesus alone brings peace to the turmoil and restlessness caused by sin. Jesus said, “Come unto me all you who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Jesus promises to be present with us through all the circumstances of life.

Secondly, there is a promise of ultimate rest that will come one day in the future – the promised eternal inheritance (Hebrews 9:15), the city that is to come (Hebrews 11:10, 13:14), the kingdom that cannot be shaken (Hebrews 12:28). There is a future new creation to come, where God’s people will enter an eternal rest that is physical and spiritual.

This makes me think of hiking. I’ve done quite a bit of hiking in the last 50+ years of my life, and I started out hiking as a young person long before Google maps and All Trails and cell phones that could almost always tell you where you were. Real hiking, out where there are not a bunch of people, used to be a pretty demanding navigational exercise and required significant preparedness. Technology has made much of that easier. (It’s also caused people who are not prepared to get stranded, but I digress…)

The joy of a relationship with Jesus is like the joy of having a professional guide along for a difficult journey. Whether you’re cross-country skiing through the alpine backcountry, or rock climbing through slot canyons deep in Utah, a professional guide’s job is to be prepared, to be present, to know the route and the dangers, to know where there’s water and what’s for dinner, to be able to call for a medivac helicopter if needed (happened to our group 3 years ago!). There’s so much more joy in the hiking journey when a professional guide is present – the weight is off my shoulders! And I know that we will get where we are supposed to be going!

A relationship with Jesus is like having a professional hiking guide – he’s with you through all the good and the challenging parts of the journey, and he will ensure you reach the ultimate rest of the eternal kingdom. Let us therefore strive to enter that rest, so that no one may fall by the same sort of disobedience (4:11).

Do you have this kind of peace, this rest, in your daily life because of a relationship with Jesus?