Earthly Rest; Eternal Rest

     We know about seventh-day rest.  For Jews the Sabbath begins properly Friday night at sundown and ends Saturday at sundown. Christians rest, if at all, on Sundays, marking the day of the week Jesus appeared alive. 

     The author of Hebrews, sensitive to his Jewish Christian readers, writes of Sabbath rest and of God's rest on the seventh day of creation. God also promised eternal rest, but many will be denied. So I declared on oath in my anger, "They shall never enter my rest." Psalm 95:11. (salvation).

     For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day (Heb. 4:8). The author quotes David: Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.  

     For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight (4:12-13). 

     Then he writes of "Jesus, the Son of God." Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens...let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. We have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us (4:14-16).

Note: Nothing about earning salvation by good works (worthy as they may be).

Next: High Priest; promise to Abraham