There is a great blessing in entering into God’s rest. It is a blessing that the world cannot offer. It is interesting that we all tend to resist that rest to some degree. The difference is that those who are saved and have entered into that rest are moved along by a loving and gracious God so that we know more of that rest in this life. No born again Christian can truly say that they have fully entered into that rest in a practical sense. We have entered into it in the spiritual sense.
The person who has entered into God’s rest has ceased from his own works. This is a blessing that we receive from God. Those who are saved understand that we cannot work our way into God’s favour. We understand that our salvation is entirely a gift of God. Those who are truly saved do not equate that with becoming careless about the things of God. There are many professing Christians who take great liberties in the name of Jesus Christ. They need to stop and look at what the Bible actually says. Jesus warned of those who boast of serving Him, but not according to His Word.
The writer here stated that those who are resting in God have rested as God did. God stopped creation after day 6. It was all done. There was no need to create anything more. Now God would oversee His creation and He would keep man from destroying what He made. Man has been busy defying God, but he is not capable of destroying God’s creation. It is amazing to see how our world has survived so many major catastrophes like the atomic bomb and Chernobyl and major oil spills, etc. Then too there is the sodomite agenda that spreads disease and kills people. There are so many ways in which man has tried to destroy this world and it is not by driving cars and eating beef. It is by the insane and wicked communist/socialist/anti-God policies of many. True Christians have always been a minority, but we have a much more powerful voice when we obey God. We see that in this passage.
In verse 11 we see the word “labour”. We think of labour as work, and often of hard work. The Greek word used here means: “to use speed, that is, to make effort, be prompt or earnest.” There is no room for a pacifist approach to God’s rest. We cannot sit around and put off until tomorrow if we want to know His blessings. We need to hear what God is saying and we need to act upon what He is saying in accordance with His Word.
The warning is given here of carelessness. There is the danger of falling after the same example of unbelief. Man is not that advanced. Man has not changed for the better since the creation. We are no smarter today than Adam was. We need more help then he did. We cannot function today without computers. I was in a parts store this week looking for a part. Their network had crashed and their computers were down. There were only two people working that day and the one had his phone and was using the data on that phone to look up parts and price them. He had to write sticky notes and pile them up and then once their system would be working again, all that would need to be entered in order to keep inventory in place.
Computers are helpful, but we have become so very dependent upon them. Our cars are run by computers. Our furnaces and fridges are run by computers. Service people no longer fix things. They try to diagnose the problem and then remove a part and replace it. If that does not fix it they might try something else or they shrug their shoulders and do not know what to do.
God made man with a brain. Adam could name all the animals without getting mixed up. He kept that all straight. However, we need more than just our brain. We need God to direct us in our hearts in order to make wise decisions. God wants to guide us but we must yield to Him.
Verse 12 is a verse I appreciate. It is the answer to our needs. The Word of God is quick — it is alive and relevant. It addresses every need that man has. It answers every question man has. The reason we have such bad civil government and justice in our country is because the Word of God is being rejected. The lockdowns and the heavy-handedness of the law during that time was because the Word of God was rejected. Police officers that ticketed and arrested people who did not follow the lies of that time did so because money was their god. They have a conscience, but they ignored that and they pursued an evil role. They will be held accountable to God for that wickedness.
God’s Word is powerful. That is why people do not want to hear it. If you are saved and you use God’s Word in your answers to man, you will soon find out how powerful it is. Many people will get upset and reject what you say. If we had some leaders who actually believed in God and believed in His Word, it would make a big difference. Pastors certainly need to be ready to answer people with the truth at all times. We need to be in prayer and humbly follow God’s leading.
God’s Word is sharper than any twoedged sword. God’s Word cuts with precision. It divides the facts from the fiction. It guides us in making wise decisions even when wicked authorities use the media and the law against truth. God’s Word is a uniter for those who obey It, and It is a divider for those who reject It.
It pierces even to the dividing asunder of the soul and the spirit. When God’s Word is honoured as It should be, It will separate the truth from the lie. Jesus exposed the lies of the devil and He used the Word of God to rebuke him at every temptation. He exposed the Pharisees with the Word of God. The apostle Paul and the other apostles did the same. They faced the wrath of man for speaking the truth but they also offered hope to those who would listen to the truth.
God’s Word also divides the joints and the marrow. When you butcher an animal it is helpful to have a sharp knife to separate the parts of the animal. You can fight and wrestle with a bone or you can cut it at the joint and separate it fairly easily. The marrow is in the centre of the bone and a sharp knife can expose the marrow. God’s Word will expose the inner workings of man. It reveals what is going on in the heart.
God’s Word is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. No man can sneak anything past God. He does what is right and He exposes what is actually going on. Jesus knew all about the Samaritan woman in John 4. He did not pound her to powder. He helped her to see who she really was and how she needed the living water. God’s Word is like a hammer to those who reject it and fight against it. Many a person has died and is in hell today awaiting the final judgment at the great white throne as described in Revelation 20. No one will put anything past Jesus Christ.
In verse 13 we are again reminded that every creature is made manifest in His sight. Adam and Eve discovered that they were naked even after they sewed themselves fig leaves. God sees through us better than any airport scanner ever could. He is not looking to take advantage of us. He is looking to show us how much we need Him. Those who die without His rest will be exposed and will be judged according to God’s righteous Word. Their works will expose them as rebels and they will face the wrath of the Lord and be cast into the Lake of Fire. It will be based on the choice they make now.
It is wise to listen to God’s Word and be saved. This is necessary for all. The many who reject God’s Word will suffer the consequences of this fatal move.
Pastor Bartel