1: For as long, then, as that promise of resting in him pulls us on to God's goal for us, we need to be careful that we're not disqualified.
2: We received the same promises as those people in the wilderness, but the promises didn't do them a bit of good because they didn't receive the promises with faith.
3: If we believe, though, we'll experience that state of resting. But not if we don't have faith. Remember that God said, Exasperated, I vowed, "They'll never get where they're going, never be able to sit down and rest." God made that vow, even though he'd finished his part before the foundation of the world.
4: Somewhere it's written, "God rested the seventh day, having completed his work,"
5: but in this other text he says, "They'll never be able to sit down and rest."
6: So this promise has not yet been fulfilled. Those earlier ones never did get to the place of rest because they were disobedient.
7: God keeps renewing the promise and setting the date as today, just as he did in David's psalm, centuries later than the original invitation: Today, please listen, don't turn a deaf ear...
8: And so this is still a live promise. It wasn't canceled at the time of Joshua; otherwise, God wouldn't keep renewing the appointment for "today."
9: The promise of "arrival" and "rest" is still there for God's people.
10: God himself is at rest. And at the end of the journey we'll surely rest with God.
11: So let's keep at it and eventually arrive at the place of rest, not drop out through some sort of disobedience.
12: God means what he says. What he says goes. His powerful Word is sharp as a surgeon's scalpel, cutting through everything, whether doubt or defense, laying us open to listen and obey.
13: Nothing and no one is impervious to God's Word. We can't get away from it--no matter what.
14: Now that we know what we have--Jesus, this great High Priest with ready access to God--let's not let it slip through our fingers.
15: We don't have a priest who is out of touch with our reality. He's been through weakness and testing, experienced it all--all but the sin.
16: So let's walk right up to him and get what he is so ready to give. Take the mercy, accept the help.