Hebrews 3:18

Hebrews 3:18

Disobedience cannot be rewarded

We are still trying to understand what was exactly in the author’s mind as he penned these unique words at the opening of his epistle. What is the “rest” he talks about? Who exactly is it who misses out on that promised rest?

As we have seen, all the Hebrew slaves were delivered from Egypt and entered miraculously into the wilderness under the leadership of Moses and Aaron. But, only a very small number actually made it to the Promised Land, the rest wandered for 40 years, or for a lifetime, until they had all passed away. 

The Promised Land was never a place of restful ease, it was a land that had to be conquered. Enemies had to be driven out. Giants had to be killed. A desert wasteland had to be tamed and made fertile. Towns, villages and cities had to be built. We might argue that Canaan was anything but a land of rest! However eventually, a large area was tamed, and the people gradually entered a place and time of peace and prosperity, both with themselves and with the pagan nations that had occupied Canaan before them. 

It seems that what the writer of Hebrews is saying is that many Christians acknowledge their deliverance from slavery to the world but, rebellion, sin and disobedience keep them from the promised rest. The majority therefore wander for a lifetime never fulfilling the hopes and plans that the Lord had for them. They die still outside of His best provision, and they never gain access to the blessings and victories that were planned. Their disobedience robs them of all that the Lord wanted them to attain. 

The Promised Land is not heaven! There is too much conflict, striving and hard work for that to be the case. However, it is a land where, little by little, the faithful find their place and their rest in the Lord, and where contentment and spiritual riches fill their lives. This never happens without many struggles and trials, but eventually the enemy’s grasp is broken, and it becomes possible to enjoy the Lord’s protection and provision from hour to hour. What a glorious prospect, that even in this world and in this life, we can be at rest! Hallelujah! 

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