Be Diligent to Enter That Rest
Joe Slater
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest . . . Hebrews 4:11             
	After creating everything in six days, God rested on the seventh day (Genesis 2:2). His will for us is that, after finishing our work upon this earth, we would enter into His rest. “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” (Hebrews 4:9, 10). Canaan, the promised land of rest, was a type or shadow of this eternal heavenly rest (see Hebrews 3:16 through 4:6).
	Nearly all of the Israelites who were of age when they left Egyptian bondage failed to enter the promised rest in Canaan. With the exception of Joshua and Caleb, that entire generation (those who were included in the census after the exodus) died during the forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Why were they excluded? What happened? “So we see that they could not enter because of unbelief” (Hebrews 3:19). “. . . [T]hose to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience” (Hebrews 4:6). There you have it: they didn’t believe, so they didn’t obey – and God swore in His wrath that they would not enter His rest.
	Using Israel’s unhappy fate as a warning, the Hebrews writer exhorts us to be diligent (earnest, zealous, urgent) to enter God’s rest, “lest anyone fall after the same example of disobedience” (4:11). Just as Israel disobeyed, forfeiting their rest in Canaan, so we can fall into unbelief, depart from the living God, and lose our on Heaven!
	Just because we’ve been baptized doesn’t mean we’re home free; all of those Israelites “were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea (1 Corinthians 10:1, 2). Neither does the fact that we observed the Lord’s Supper regularly guarantee that we will stay right with God. The Israelites “all ate the same spiritual food, and all drank the same spiritual drink . . . But with most of them God was not well pleased (10:3-5). They sinned through lust, idolatry, fornication, testing Christ, and murmuring (10:6-10). We are far from being immune to such ungodliness. “Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall (10:12).
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Job Application
	A man filling out a job application came to the question: “Have you ever been arrested?” His answer was “No.” The next question, which was meant only for those who answered, “Yes,” was” “Why?” The man answered truthfully: “I never got caught.”
	Clearly, there are many in our world who have never been arrested simply because they have never been caught. Of  course, those who do wrong are already “caught” by the Lord, and will one day be held accountable. If we want to be right with God, we must seek His forgiveness for our wrongs and do what is right.
	Solomon declared: “Because sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil. Though a sinner does evil a hundred times, and his days are prolonged, yet I surely know that it shall be well with those who fear God, who fear before Him” (Ecclesiastes 8:11, 12).
	--Via House-too-House/Heart-to-Heart (adapted)
By Many or by Few
	As was often the case, Israel and the Philistines were at war. Jonathan and his armor bearer were about to engage some of the enemy in battle, but Jonathan didn't know how strong the enemy was. But, Jonathan was confident that God would give them the victory even though there were only two on God's side. He said to his armor bearer, "perhaps the Lord will work for us, for the Lord is not restrained to save by many or by few"  (2 Samuel 14:6). Look at the confidence Jonathan expressed.
	First, although the word was "perhaps," he expressed confidence that God was with them therefore he was not afraid to go into battle. Confidence that God is with us is crucial whatever enemy we face.
	Second, he was confident that the Lord had the ability to give the victory. God wants us to have that same kind of confidence today.
	Third, he realized that the Lord could accomplish the victory whether God had few or many on His side. This was a confident statement considering the fact that there was only Jonathan and his armor bearer going against an unknown number of Philistines.
	The text goes on to say that Jonathan and his armor bearer killed about twenty Philistines in a very small area (I Samuel 14:14). But, the victor was even greater because Jonathan's victory inspired all of Saul's army to win a complete battle against the Philistines (I Samuel 14:16-23).
	What enemy are you facing? Maybe it is an addiction. Maybe it is that temptation that plagues you. Maybe it is a family crisis. Whatever the enemy is, God can give you the victory. But, you must have the confidence to step out in faith as Jonathan did. You have to believe that God has the ability to be victorious. You must believe that God will give you the victory no matter the number or odds against you.
	You and God make a majority.
		--Wayne Burger (Conifer, CO)