Hebrews 4:4,5

This heavenly rest in type. Hebrews 4:4-8.

a.

The seventh day. Hebrews 4:4-5.

Text

Hebrews 4:4-5

Hebrews 4:4 For He hath said somewhere of the seventh day on this wise, And God rested on the seventh day from all his works; Hebrews 4:5 and in this place again,

They shall not enter into My rest.

Paraphrase

Hebrews 4:4 That the seventh day rest is God's rest, and that it was instituted at the creation, is evident, for Moses hath spoken somewhere concerning the seventh day rest thus: And God completely rested on the seventh day from all His works.

Hebrews 4:5 Moreover, in this ninety-fifth Psalm, the Holy Ghost said again to the unbelieving Israelites in David's time who were living in Canaan, They shall not enter into My rest. This shows, that another rest besides that in Canaan was promised to Abraham's seed, which would be forfeited by unbelief, but be obtained by believing.

Comment

For He hath said somewhere of the seventh day on this wise.

Moses spoke of the first day of rest.

a.

Genesis 2:2-3.

b.

Exodus 31:17: For in six days Jehovah made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.

Why does the author mention it here?

a.

Milligan says: To amplify and illustrate further what he has spoken in the preceding verse.

b.

Milligan feels that this rest cannot be identical with that from which a whole generation of the Israelites were forever excluded.

and God rested on the seventh day from all His works

This day of rest was instituted by God from the foundation of the world, Twenty-five hundred years later God spoke of a future rest which the Israelites were to be denied.

What is God doing now? The scriptures indirectly answer for us.

Hebrews 1:3: Christ is spoken of as upholding all things by the word of his power, John 5:17: My Father worketh until now and I work. John 6:29: This is the work of God, that ye believe on Him whom He hath sent, Acts 17:28: In Him we live and move.

and in this place again

Psalms 95:11: Most authorities agree that place is to be in italicsnot in the original manuscript.

They shall not enter into My rest

Clarke says that this was a second rest promised to the obedient seed of Abrahamspoken in the days of David, when the Jews actually possessed the land.

McKnight feels that it refers to the rest in Canaan, and was God's rest for two reasons:

a.

God rested from introducing them after their settlement.

b.

They were free to worship, free from the fear of their enemies.

Study Questions

574.

When did God first speak of a rest for His people?

575.

God's rest after six days of creation was what kind of a rest?

576.

Why does Paul mention it here? What is the lesson?

577.

Why the indefinite somewhere?

578.

How many years after the first seventh day did God give man a seventh day?

579.

Does God work today?

580.

Are two different rests referred to here as seen by the word again?

581.

In what ways could the Israelites-' experience in Canaan be considered a rest?