Langata Rd, Opposite Uhuru Gardens, Nairobi, Kenya.
Hebrews 3:19, 3:12-13
Unbelief is such a constant and dangerous temptation that we must help each other fight it off. These verses emphasize that unbelief can prevent us from entering God’s rest. Verse 12 warns against having an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from God, while verse 13 encourages believers to exhort one another daily to avoid being hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. Verse 19 confirms that unbelief kept the Israelites from entering God’s promised rest. This teaches that securing God’s rest requires trusting in God completely, strengthening each other against doubt and sin and remaining steadfast in belief to avoid spiritual hardening. By standing together in faith and fighting unbelief, we ensure that we do not miss out on the true rest God has prepared for us.
Hebrews 4:1-3
This verse emphasizes that God’s promise of rest still stands, but we must be careful not to miss it due to unbelief. The Israelites in the wilderness failed to enter God’s rest because they did not combine God’s word with faith. It also reminds us that God’s promise remains, but only those who have faith will enter His rest. Just as the Israelites missed it due to unbelief, we must trust in God’s word to receive the rest He offers. Faith in Christ is the key to experiencing His peace and eternal rest.
If we look at our discouragement and doubt in this light we shall no longer pity, but blame ourselves, and instead of excusing we shall accuse our heart of a great crime. Doubt towards God is not a mere weakness, it is a wickedness of the gravest kind. But fear what? “Fear lest…any one of you should seem to have come short of God’s rest.”- the restful haven of salvation.
Though unbelief certainly exists, it is a most unreasonable thing. If God has made promise, on what grounds do we doubt its fulfilment? Have men not said, “Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?” or, “Can He deliver us out of the deep water?” The more we consider the supposition that God is unable to keep His promises, the more we discard it with indignation.
God’s haven of salvation and God’s heaven require victory over the spirit of unbelief- Exodus 34:6, Numbers 14:8-9. And it was the good news of God’s promise that God would bring them into the land of milk and honey and be with them if they would trust him and not rebel.
The Israelites had heard the gospel- not the foundation of it in the death and resurrection of Christ, which his readers have heard- but still the promise that God is merciful and forgives sins and promises rest and joy for those who trust Him- Hebrews 4:2
They did not have faith in His promise to give them a better future than they had in Egypt and so they gave up on God and wanted the old life. They fell in the wilderness. God swore in His wrath that they would never enter his rest.
Hebrews 4:11
Securing God’s rest requires diligence and faithfulness. This rest is not just about physical relaxation but a deeper spiritual peace found in trusting and obeying God. The Israelites failed to enter God’s promised rest because of unbelief and disobedience (Hebrews 3:19). Likewise, we must remain steadfast in faith, avoiding distraction and sin that could lead us away from God’s promises. Being diligent means continually seeking God, living in obedience, and standing firm in His word. True rest comes when we surrender fully to Christ, trusting in His finished work and walking in His ways.
Israel fell from the promised joy of God because of the disobedience of unbelief. And the same thing can happen to any professing Christian. And that day-by-day, hour-by-hour trust in God’s promises is not automatic. It is the result of daily diligence and it’s the result of firm faith and obedience.