Entering His rest (Hebrews story 5) (Hebrews 11:1, Genesis 2:2, Hebrews 4:1-10, Psalms 95:7-11, Exodus 20:3)

"Don't know flowers just seem restful : )
Beauty in being still"
© Karen Kyle Ericson, all rights reserved.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
(Hebrews 11:1 NKJV)

Hebrews 4

1 Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. 2 For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. 3 For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
After God created the world, He saw that it was good and rested from His work.  We were actually created to rest.  Hard to believe isn't it?  Today's world is incredibly busy.  But not just take a nap, be a part of His rest.  As I write this I see how our faith has an impact on our ability to rest.  When I listen to the News, I think, "We're doomed."  I don't really know that do I?  So why would I dwell on that?

And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done.
(Genesis 2:2 NKJV)
God knew his work was finished and He rested.  He didn't pick at it, and try to improve it.  He knew He was done.  What a wonderful gift He's given us to know the work is done, so rest. We've added lots of noise in our world.

4 For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; 5 and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”
It wasn't that God denied rest, it was that the people wandering in the wilderness refused to have faith.  There was always something wrong, they got tired of mana from Heaven.  So God sent them quail.  They got tired of waiting for Moses, so they created and worshiped a bronze calf. 

First of the 10 commandments:
“You shall have no other gods before Me."
(Exodus 20:3 NKJV)
They broke this one before Moses could come down the mountain with the 10 commandments.  Moses got so mad, he threw the tablets on the ground and they broke.  Moses definitely had the very worst job in the Bible.

7 For He is our God,
And we are the people of His pasture,
And the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice:
8 “Do not harden your hearts, as in the rebellion,
As in the day of trial in the wilderness,
9 When your fathers tested Me;
They tried Me, though they saw My work.
10 For forty years I was grieved with that generation,
And said, ‘It is a people who go astray in their hearts,
And they do not know My ways. ’
11 So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.'"
(Psalms 95:7-11 NKJV)
They wandered for forty years... I can't even imagine.

6 Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 7 again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
Just realized we usually think of Sunday as our "worship" day or day to rest.  God said that today is a good day.  When I put aside my fears and trust in God, it's a real faith lift.

8 For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. 9 There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. 10 For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
(Joshua was the one who took Moses' place in the Exodus after Moses died.)   And yeah we still need to wash dishes and do laundry... sigh.

*Note:  The flowers in the photo are from my garden this year.  We had high humidity that day and it created a nice soft photograph.