Confidence In God's Promises

Today, I'd like to focus on a couple of concepts: 1. the boldness of God's promises, and 2.the sabbath rest of the kingdom of Christ.

Hebrews 3:5-6

Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken later. Christ, however, was faithful over God’s house as a son, and we are his house if we hold firm the confidence and the pride that belong to hope.

When Israel was led from Egypt through the Red Sea, to Sinai, and onwards to Jordan, God demonstrated his power and provision to them time after time. They should have been filled to the brim with confidence in their God, but when they got to the edge of the promised land, and found out that the Canaanites were giants (around 20 ft tall), they lost heart. However, two out of the twelve spies that were sent into the land (Caleb and Joshua) had confidence and pride which belonged to their hope in God's promises, and God blessed them for their bravery by letting them lead the way into the promised land 40 years later. All the rest of Israel was sentenced to wander and die in the wilderness, forbidden access because of their unbelief. I am convinced this story is a type and shadow of the gospel of the Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God on earth is the same as Caanan (the promised land), all of Christ's followers and believers are like the children of Israel, still in the wilderness. The world is like the giants of Canaan, enjoying the fruits of this planet which are destined for God's kingdom. We must believe that the Lord God will make good on his promise to manifest his Kingdom on earth, the same way that he made good on his promise to deliver the Canaanites into the hands of Israel. As long as we are faithful, obedient, confident and responsive to God's call, we will see 1000 years of peace on Earth under Christ, as spoken of in Revelation.

According to scripture ( in 2 Peter, and elsewhere), 1000 years is as one day to the Lord, and one day is as 1000 years. I believe that this present millennium is a Sabbath, and contains the promised Sabbath "Rest" that is openly discussed in the passage below. It is important for us to study the promises of the kingdom so we can know what to look for, and how to prepare. We have to know what's been promised, so we can decide if we believe, and open our hearts to let ourselves believe. Nobody can believe what they haven't been told, or shown. This passage really spoke to me today, I hope it speaks to you as well.

Hebrews 3:7-4:13

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Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,
‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
as on the day of testing in the wilderness,
where your ancestors put me to the test,
though they had seen my works for forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
and I said, “They always go astray in their hearts,
and they have not known my ways.”
As in my anger I swore,
“They will not enter my rest.” ’

Take care, brothers and sisters, that none of you may have an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today’, so that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partners of Christ, if only we hold our first confidence firm to the end. As it is said,

‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.’

Now who were they who heard and yet were rebellious? Was it not all those who left Egypt under the leadership of Moses? But with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the wilderness? And to whom did he swear that they would not enter his rest, if not to those who were disobedient? So we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.

Therefore, while the promise of entering his rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it. For indeed the good news came to us just as to them; but the message they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united by faith with those who listened. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as God has said,

‘As in my anger I swore,
“They shall not enter my rest” ’,

though his works were finished at the foundation of the world. For in one place it speaks about the seventh day as follows: ‘And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.’ And again in this place it says, ‘They shall not enter my rest.’ Since therefore it remains open for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, again he sets a certain day—‘today’—saying through David much later, in the words already quoted,

‘Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.’

For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not speak later about another day. So then, a sabbath rest still remains for the people of God; for those who enter God’s rest also cease from their labours as God did from his. Let us therefore make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.

Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And before him no creature is hidden, but all are naked and laid bare to the eyes of the one to whom we must render an account.

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