Hebrews Chapter 4
Entering Into His Rest
A. How to enter God’s rest.
1. (Hebrews 4:1–2)
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.
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.
a. Therefore:
The thought flows directly from Hebrews 3. The wilderness generation serves as a warning. Though they were redeemed from Egypt, witnessed God’s mighty power, and stood on the threshold of Canaan, they failed to enter His rest because of unbelief. The author now applies this typologically to the believer’s life today.
The promise of rest did not terminate with Israel — it remains (Greek: kataleipetai, “is left behind, continues available”). This proves the rest God offers is not just past or historical — it is ongoing and accessible for the faithful. It is not merely physical rest (like Canaan), but spiritual and eschatological.
b. Let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it:
This is a sober exhortation — one of the few times Scripture directly commands believers to fear. Not a craven, paralyzing fear, but a reverent concern — the kind that comes when you know what's at stake is eternally valuable. The Greek verb dokéō (“seem”) implies appearing, or giving the impression — it may not even be overt rebellion, but a subtle drift, a failure to persevere in belief and obedience.
that this fear is “not of losing salvation but of failing to enter into inheritance rest,” distinguishing between positional salvation and experiential reward. Believers who “come short” miss out not on eternal life, but on the promised reward of ruling and reigning with Christ in the coming kingdom (cf. 2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 3:21).
Clarke compares this to the ancient Greco-Roman games: the runner who stumbles near the end, just short of the finish line, still loses. Effort does not equal victory — finishing does.
c. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them:
Both generations received good news — the Exodus generation heard of the land flowing with milk and honey, and the church hears of the rest in Christ. But the gospel is only effectual when faith receives it.
The Greek emphasizes that the message was proclaimed (euēngelisthē), but proclamation alone is not sufficient. It must be received with faith. This echoes Romans 10:17 — “faith comes by hearing,” but not all who hear believe.
d. Mixed with faith:
This is the key. The imagery here, as Clarke points out, is taken from digestion — nourishment only happens when food is properly assimilated, not merely swallowed. The Word of God, likewise, must be inwardly accepted and responded to by obedient trust.
Two people can sit under the same preaching: one walks away renewed, the other hardened. The difference? One heard and believed; the other heard and remained passive or skeptical.
adds that this verse explains why so many “professing” believers in churches remain spiritually stagnant or disqualified — they are like Israel: exposed to truth, but unmoved in trust.
i. Think of Israel:
They had divine deliverance, daily manna, the pillar of fire and cloud, and the Law of God from Sinai — yet they died in the wilderness. They never crossed into the fullness of what God intended, not because of lack of privilege, but because of lack of faith.
Faith is not a one-time event. It is a daily posture of trust in God’s promises and submission to His ways. The failure of Israel is echoed in churches today, where many start the race but drift into mediocrity or disobedience.
2. (Hebrews 4:3–5)
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.
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”;
and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”
a. We who have believed do enter that rest:
The verb tense here (eiserchómetha) is present — believers are entering into this rest now. This isn’t just future rest in the millennial reign or eternal state — it is a present experience of spiritual peace and trust, the cessation of striving to please God by works, and resting in His promises (cf. Matthew 11:28–30).
The PDF emphasizes the threefold nature of this “rest”:
Past rest — justification by faith (resting from works for salvation).
Present rest — sanctification through faith, surrender, and trust.
Future rest — inheritance reward in the Kingdom, shared rule with Christ.
b. My rest:
This rest is not a human idea — it is God’s own rest (cf. Genesis 2:2). The quote from Psalm 95:11 confirms that the rest being spoken of is God’s rest, still open to His people. The use of “My rest” highlights the personal, divine origin of this blessing.
Importantly, God’s rest began on the seventh day — a model of completion and satisfaction. He wasn’t tired; He was finished. That pattern is what is being offered to us — a rest that flows from completed work, not ongoing effort.
c. Although the works were finished from the foundation of the world:
God’s work was completed from creation — His rest has existed since Genesis. So when Psalm 95 speaks of “entering” His rest centuries later, it proves that a greater rest remains available beyond Canaan. The author is laying a theological foundation: the Sabbath rest of God is eternally open to all who will enter by faith.
that this undermines any notion that God’s rest was only fulfilled in Joshua’s day or in the Old Covenant. Psalm 95 (written in David’s time) confirms that the promise of entering His rest remains open.
d. He has spoken in a certain place… “And God rested…”
This quote from Genesis 2:2 grounds the concept of rest in creation theology. It ties the believer’s rest in Christ to the very beginning of God’s dealings with man. That rest is not inactivity but perfect satisfaction in God’s completed work — and it is available to all who will stop striving and trust Him.
e. “They shall not enter My rest.”
This solemn repetition drives home the warning: it is possible to fall short — not because the promise fails, but because we fail to believe. The judgment is real. God swore in His wrath that the unbelieving would not enter. And if we emulate their unbelief, we too can be disqualified — not from salvation, but from reward and inheritance.
3. (Hebrews 4:6-9) The rest that remains for the people of God.
Hebrews 4:6–9 (NKJV)
“Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 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.’ For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.”
a. “Since therefore it remains that some must enter it…”
This builds on the previous arguments of Hebrews 3 and early chapter 4: the rest of God is still available. The generation of Israelites who followed Moses were disqualified from entering because of unbelief and rebellion, as made plain in Numbers chapters 13 and 14. Yet that did not nullify God’s promise. Psalm 95:7–8 was written centuries later and still offered rest — showing it was not exhausted in Joshua’s day. “Today” still stands as a day of invitation.
b. “Again He designates a certain day, saying in David, ‘Today…’”
The quotation from Psalm 95 confirms that God established an ongoing opportunity for rest. He appointed a new “Today,” extending the same promise to David’s generation and to ours. The inspired author sees David’s appeal as a reoffer of the same rest, this time tied not to physical geography (Canaan) but to spiritual participation in the presence of God.
— that “rest” in this context is not salvation rest, nor merely the millennial kingdom, but includes present-day spiritual maturity and faithful inheritance for the believer
5. (Hebrews 4:11) Applying the idea and the invitation to enter God’s rest through faith.
Hebrews 4:11 (NKJV)
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
The word “therefore” connects us directly to the weight of all preceding verses—this is the exhortational conclusion of the warning begun in Hebrews 3:7. The Greek word translated “be diligent” is spoudazō, implying earnest effort, haste, and zeal. The believer is not told to drift into this rest, but to labor diligently toward it, not by works of the flesh, but by persevering faith.
This rest is not a picture of heaven in general, but a spiritual inheritance accessible in this life and consummated in the millennial kingdom. According to the PDF, this is the “faith/life rest” of the believer, not justification rest or the rest of glorification. It is a reward for those who remain faithful under trial
B. Jesus Our High Priest
1. (Hebrews 4:14) Seeing Jesus, our great High Priest.
Hebrews 4:14 (NKJV):
“Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.”
a. Seeing then that we have a great High Priest:
This verse marks a major turning point in the epistle, transitioning from the warning section to a deeper exploration of Christ’s priesthood. The idea that Jesus is our High Priest was introduced in Hebrews 2:17—“Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people.” Also in Hebrews 3:1—“Consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Christ Jesus.” Now that thought is brought forward and expanded, establishing Jesus as not just a High Priest, but the great High Priest.
b. Unique among priests:
No other High Priest in Jewish history was ever described this way. Christ is:
Great: in superiority, surpassing all predecessors.
Passed through the heavens: not merely through the earthly veil into a man-made holy of holies, but through the created heavens into the true Holy of Holies in the presence of God (cf. Hebrews 9:24—“For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands… but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us.”).
Jesus the Son of God: this blends His humanity and deity. “Jesus” is His human name, emphasizing His identification with us. “Son of God” emphasizes His divinity and authority.
, “Jesus’ priesthood has been already alluded to twice. We will next be moving into the definitive passages about Jesus as our High Priest (Hebrews 5–10).”
3. (Hebrews 4:16) An invitation: come to the throne of grace.
Hebrews 4:16 (NKJV):
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
a. Let us therefore come boldly:
Because we have a High Priest — Jesus, who is both God and man, exalted and yet empathetic — we are exhorted to approach Him with confidence. This is not boldness rooted in arrogance or presumption, but boldness based on the merit of Christ's finished work. It is the confidence of sons and daughters approaching a gracious Father, not criminals approaching a judge.
The Greek word for "boldly" (parrēsia) speaks of freedom in speech, open and unreserved. We are invited to come:
Constantly — not just once, but habitually.
Without reservation — there is no shame for the believer in Christ.
Freely and without fancy words — there is no need for religious pretension.
With confidence — knowing we are accepted in the Beloved (Ephesians 1:6).
With persistence — like the widow in Luke 18:1-8 who continued asking the unjust judge. How much more should we approach a gracious Savior?
b. To the throne of grace:
The throne of God, by nature, is one of majesty and justice — but for the believer, it is a throne of grace. Because of Jesus’ intercession and atonement, justice and mercy are reconciled there. In the Old Covenant, the mercy seat atop the ark of the covenant was the place where atonement was made. Now, the believer approaches the heavenly reality, where Christ sits enthroned, having completed redemption.
The Jewish rabbis once taught that God had two thrones — one of mercy and one of judgment — because they could not conceive of how both could exist in unity. Hebrews corrects this by revealing that the work of Christ has merged them into one: the throne of grace.
The commentary calls this verse “The ‘Throne of Grace,’ indeed!” and it is highlighted as one of the most powerful invitations in Scripture. This throne, now occupied by Christ, is different from any throne in the Old Covenant system — it is where mercy and grace meet, and from which Christ continues His present priestly ministry
