For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 NIV
The Context:
The writer of this book, though not named, encourages people who hold allegiance to God to hold on to Him to the end. There is a mirror held up to the new testament church of all the events of the old testament. In today's extract, we see a comparison between the rest that God promised Israel through Moses' leadership and the rest He promises us through the sonship of Jesus. It has to be emphasized here that God's rest was both physical and spiritual. A defined physical land was going to be taken over by Israel, but there was also something deeper that God was trying to achieve: a people whose lives and stories would become testimonies to the world of the power, grace and mercy of God.
There is a warning for both rests: being careful about rebellion, sin and disobedience. The rest of Israel was broken for all who sinned, and it is still the same God, even if dispensation has changed. What He called sin in the old testament is still sin in these present age, and we will do well to take caution to avoid that which could break our own rest. He promised Israel rest, and as many as submitted to Him, they got into that rest. He promises us rest today too, and as many as will enter into it must also submit to God on His terms. The condition for entering this rest is faith in God, not your network, circle of influence, powerful caucus or bank account balance. This is why Jesus came: to establish that rest for all who trust in Him.
The Message:
How then do I enter into this rest? How do I know I am in that rest? Can a man stumble into it by accident? It has already been established that God wants to bring rest to all men. There is a standing promise by Jesus Himself while he was still on earth, where he invited all who were weary and heavy laden to come to Him for rest. I say again: you cannot find true rest outside of the One who speaks here. The world cannot give you what it does not have. The world is in turmoil and out of control; it cannot secure that which it lost by sin and rebellion towards God.
And if He has promised, His Word is such that it cannot be broken. It does not matter what it looks like around you; as long as He said it, you can bank on it. How's His Word described here: alive, active, sharper than any double-edged sword. Almost as if we were talking about a living person, a weapon of offence and defence and an agent of change, all at the same time. God does not waste words, but when He has spoken, these words have a life of their own and they just must come to pass.
Why a sword? So you would know what you are getting into. The rest that Israel was promised required some fighting to be done in order to secure the land, and in this rest also, God is saying: My word will fight for you, if you will let Him. I am very strong, yet quite so precise that I can make a distinction between the joints and the marrow, dividing soul and spirit and able to judge hidden intentions. With me, pretence and hypocrisy are time-wasters. You won't get away with lying or deceit and you can't fool me. My Word is sure and so is my knowledge and understanding of what is going on, and my judgement is also true.
The Response:
And when the Word cuts that deep and that precise, I must take heed and make amends where necessary. His Word is good for doctrine, reproof, correction and training in righteousness. All aspects of my life are covered, and nothing catches God by suprise when it comes to me. And it is easy to point out other people's issues and conveniently ignore my own. The sword cuts any way you swing it; its truth is not subject to man's manipulation or acceptance.
If I will enter into God's kind of rest, I must allow the Word of God to work in me that which will lead to rest. I cannot ignore his cutting, pruning and weeding, and still expect to end in His rest. My heart cannot be pursuing after personal gain at the expense of eternal life. God is omnipotent, but my life can limit His power if I do not submit to Him. Just as He called out to Israel in those days to believe His Word and hold on to His promise, so does He call out to us too, asking us to trust Him and believe His Word. He does not lie; events from creation till today show that God's Word is the only thing that will stand through all generations and dispensations. Have I truly submitted to this God? Is His Word my one and only consideration, or do I have other 'viable' options? You can resist the Word if you want, but you can't deny its power. You can refuse to submit to the God who promises rest, but you can't deny the truth of that rest. Do you want to enter your own rest? Come to Jesus today, and you rest from all your labour. His time of favour is here.
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