The Hebrew word for “seven” and the Hebrew word for “rest” are the same word. That of course finds its source in Genesis 2 where God created everything that exists in six days and then took a day off. That seventh day became known as the Sabbath. After the seventh day, a day of rest, God did not pick up His creative activity again. There was nothing left to do. He had accomplished it all. Pentecost says, “Because the work of creation was completed in six days, it was not necessary for God to resume work after a temporary rest. Instead, with the completion of creation, God entered into a permanent state of rest. While God worked in six days to bring creation to its desired conclusion, once that work was completed, no additional work was necessary.”[1] The author of Hebrews begins verse 4 of chapter 4 with this statement: “For he has somewhere spoken of the seventh day in this way: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’ And again in this passage he said, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

There is a “rest” available to you and me today. Those who trust completely in the finished work of Christ can enjoy this rest. Those who reject Christ have no rest. My mother used to say, “There’s no rest for the wicked.” But I think this writer is referring to Christians who will not enter into God’s rest in this life because they are still trusting in working for it themselves. He has called them “brothers” too often to be speaking to unbelievers. This rest comes in relying completely on the finished work of Christ. Pentecost goes on to says, “How interesting that God Himself is the author of rest! And the divine rest God instituted following creation is still continuing today. That means that although we live in one of the most hurried, tense, tumultuous societies that has ever existed, we can experience His perfect rest by maintaining and cultivating our relationship with Him.”[2]

All the Israelites who left Egypt were God’s people. Yet not all God’s people enter into His rest. In fact, the disobedience of unbelief kept them out and it keeps us out often as well. Don’t think you can enter into God’s rest by doing something to earn or deserve it. Don’t think you can enjoy peace with God if there is still something remaining to be accomplished. If there is something more to be done then we’ll never rest. When Christ said on the cross “it is finished,” He was referring to the work of salvation. When God finishes His work, everything that needs to be done has been done. When Jesus finishes His work, everything that needs to be done has been done. There will never be rest, even for believers in Jesus, for those who do not trust fully in the finished work of Christ.

[1] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 84.

[2] J. Dwight Pentecost and Ken Durham, Faith That Endures : A Practical Commentary on the Book of Hebrews, Rev. ed. (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2000), 84.