«Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it» (Hebrews 4:1).
IN HEBREWS CHAPTER 4, God promises rest for His people. God had said that His people would enter the Promised Land, but Israel did not enter because of their unbelief. God repeats His promise to offer rest that is available to everyone who wants to do the Lord’s will. Thus, those who believe and trust in God will enter into His rest. In addition, Christ is presented as a Priest, our great and only High Priest, who was tempted in everything but did not sin, who intercedes and acts on our behalf.
On June 23, 2018, the world was surprised by the news of a group of thirteen young people trapped in the Tham Luang Cave in northern Thailand. It was a soccer team called the Wild Boars. They were between eleven and sixteen years old, and their coach was twenty-five. The anticipated abundant rains partially flooded the cave where the boys had gone for a walk.
On July 2, 2018, nine days after they had been missing, divers found the thirteen who had disappeared. They were alive and sheltered on a high rock about 2.5 miles from the entrance of the cave. Rescuers made their way through dark and cold water for hours, following the path with ropes to guide them. Sometimes the path was so narrow that only one person could go through at a time.
It was an astonishing feat: after two agonizing weeks, the children were safely rescued. They, their families, and the world rested from the anguish. How much joy! It was a great victory!
However, the children were told that one of the divers named Saman (which means “the rising morning sun”) had lost his life while placing oxygen tanks along the flooded road in order to rescue them. They wept, prayed, and made a vow to honor Saman: «We will be good people to honor the one who died for us,» they said.
Like these children, we too, are in the cave of sin with the fate of death. However, thanks to Jesus, the Sun of Righteousness who gave His life for us, we will soon enter into a partial rest now, which will be complete at His coming.
To honor the One who rescued us, we must now live to rescue others.
There are still many to be saved who feel hopeless against sin and need the rest of the Lord.
