Post 22 of Study: Hebrews 3

Before I move on, a couple of disclaimers/explanations/random thoughts. 

The more one posts, the more "looks" one gets. In the last month I've had 1.75% of all my posts for 14 years (and more) of this blog. That means with these daily, twice daily posts, I've upped the traffic. 

 Of course, I have no idea who these folks are (no one comments!) and I suspect the majority are bots or some other mechanism that just comes to blog sites for nefarious reasons. If anyone benefits from these posts, I am grateful. I ask you to look at my books on Amazon, under Barbara G. Tucker and Barbara Graham Tucker. Barbara Tucker is a hip hop singer and you won't get much more than here if you just use that name, unless you put one of the titles. 

Second, because I don't plan to be working on this study into the new year, if we are granted such and I am well, I will probably pick up the pace a bit, starting today. 

Chapter 3 closes the part of the argument in 2 and gives a lengthy warning about not stopping. Interestingly, the action we are not to stop is "resting." That seems contradictory, except that resting is a synonym for faith in the Bible. How wonderful! Resting from self-struggle, resting from trying to please God on our own, resting from man's commandments, and so much more. 

I personally am experiencing a great deal of fatigue right now, and rest sounds good. Where the fatigue comes from, I can't say specifically, but I know it's not COVID. Despite all the flyers and warnings, one symptom does not a COVID diagnosis make. I suspect it's my body telling me that it's older and that I'm putting expectations on it that it's not up to, so it rebels and just has to sleep. I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one in this situation.

Better to accept rest than to be pushed into it. This concept of spiritual rest (not sleep, to be sure; sleep is not a positive metaphor in Scripture, whereas rest is) is throughout Hebrews; the Israelites entered into rest, but not when they were rebellious. 

What I want to bring this to is the last verse. "So we see that they could not enter in becasue of unbelief." This unbelief is not lack of faith based on ignorance or lack of revelation. It is explain in16-18. Unbelief is a decision not to trust and follow those revealed principles and commands, and more, to actively NOT TRUST the character of God. That is the key here. Unbelief is a choice, that has a consequence; one cannot enter rest of God's kingdom when choosing not to believe.