There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:9-11 (NKJV)It is well worth reading the whole of Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 where the writer expands on this idea of rest for the people of God; a rest where God's will is the most important thing in our lives. It reminds us when Jesus counselled us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you"(Mat 6:33). It is important to realise that it is our duty to enter into the rest that God has prepared for us, where He has subdued our enemies (internally) and we can live in a way that pleases Him without compromise or sin.
This passage again reminds us how much of God's plan for people under the New Covenant, was represented in His dealings with His chosen people in the Old Covenant. There is much to learn from studying what happened to them, both in the benefits that we can expect, and the warnings that their failings provide to us. The key message in this passage is to continue in faith.
