If Jesus had Given them Rest Hebrews 4:8

The writer of Hebrews exhorted his readers with the words of King David, “Today, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts”, and in chapter four and verse eight of Hebrews he referred the readers to what would have happened “if Jesus had given them rest” where we read:

For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

The verse begins, “For if Jesus had given them rest, ...” The writer began with the words, “For if” or “because, as, even, indeed, no doubt, seeing then and therefore whether and forasmuch as” “Jesus” whose name means “Jehovah is salvation” and referred to “the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “had given them rest”” which in Greek is the phrase, “katapauō autos katapauō” and means “provided calm, quiet, restrain and desist”. The writer began with the condition “if” to share what he will next about “rest” in Jesus.

The verse goes on to say, “ ...then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.” The writer continued, “then would he” which means “would Jesus” “not afterward” or “in no way affirm behind or at another time” “have spoken” which means “uttered, told, talked, proclaimed or declared” “of another day” or “concerning some different time period”. If the day of “rest” was fulfilled in it's entirety, Jesus would not have “shared” concerning “another” future period of “rest”.

When we think through these words in Hebrews, we understand Jesus' promise of “rest” in the future. There is a place in Christ where we may be at “rest”, and if that had been fulfilled in the original suggestion of “rest”, there would have been no need for Jesus to share about it. God desires to give us “rest”, and the fulfillment of “rest” is in a relationship with Jesus Christ. Not only is there “rest” given now, but there is also the promise of future “rest” that lasts throughout eternity.

Next time the writer shares how there “remains therefore a rest to the people of God”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.