Beyond the Wilderness: The Rest That Remains

Have you ever found yourself exhausted from striving, from trying to earn what God simply wants to give? The fourth chapter of Hebrews speaks directly to this universal human condition with a message both urgent and tender.

Through the eyes of an ancient scribe burning with holy purpose, we journey into one of Scripture's most profound paradoxes: the invitation to enter God's rest. This isn't merely about physical relaxation or even the promised land of ancient Israel. It's a soul-level peace that has been prepared since the foundation of the world—a rest that remains available today for those who respond with faith rather than fear, with trust rather than self-reliance.

The scripture reading reveals how the Word of God functions as a living, active force—sharper than any two-edged sword—cutting through our pretenses and laying bare what truly matters. Yet this exposure doesn't lead to shame but to grace, as we meet our sympathetic High Priest who understands our weaknesses. Through Jesus, we gain unprecedented access to approach God's throne with boldness, not because we've earned it, but because He has made the way.

This episode challenges us to examine where we might be missing God's invitation to rest. Where are you striving when He's asking for surrender? Where are you restless when His presence is calling you home? The promise still stands, not as something ancient, but as something reaching for you right here, right now. Take this opportunity to pause, reflect, and allow these truths to sink deep into your spirit. Share this message with someone who needs to hear that God's door to rest remains open.

Music Credit: "Altar" by Hector Gabriel

Thank you for joining us in this episode of In the Field Audio Bible, where we explore the richness of God’s Word, one chapter at a time. We hope today’s reading brought insight, comfort, or inspiration to your journey of faith.

We’d love to hear your thoughts and questions! Feel free to send us a text to let us know how In the Field Audio Bible is impacting your faith journey. Until next time, may God’s Word guide and bless you.

Episode Transcript

In the Field Audio Bibl (04:51):
Welcome to In the Field Audio Bible,
where we create a calm andpeaceful space to immerse
yourself in God's Word.
My name is Christie, your hostfor this episode.
My name is Christie, your hostfor this episode.
Whether you're here to readalong, meditate on scripture, or

(05:12):
simply pause for a moment ofquiet reflection, I'm grateful
to have you here with me today.
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(05:33):
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with God.

(05:53):
Today we open the fourth chapterof Hebrews through the eyes and
the heart of a scribe burningwith holy purpose.
He writes the night is still,but my soul is not.
It is the fourth watch whensleep drapes the city like a

(06:17):
veil and only the aching heartsand watchful eyes remain.
A single lamp flickers besideme, casting shadows on this
table worn smooth by years ofink and truth.
My fingers are stained with oiland charcoal and the scroll

(06:38):
before me trembles, not withfear but with purpose.
I write for them, for those whohave begun this journey toward
the promise and wonder if thepromise still remains, for those
who wonder like Israel did,hungry for rest but unsure of

(07:03):
the path that leads to it.
This letter, this epistle, itburns within me.
I was not there when he walkedthe waters or broke the bread
with his hands, but I knew theones who were.
I heard their trembling voiceswhen they spoke his name.

(07:26):
I saw their eyes how theyglowed with conviction, how they
wept with remembrance.
And I too have heard his voicethrough the law, the prophets
and now through the sun.
But tonight I write not of fireand thunder, nor of Sinai's

(07:52):
trembling stone.
I write of rest, true rest, notthe rest of a weary body, but
the rest of a soul anchored inobedience and belief.
Just before I sat to write, oldBenjamin, from the market,

(08:14):
passed by my window, his basketheavy with figs, his eyes
heavier, still Still awake, oldfriend, he chuckled, shaking his
head.
What burden drives your quilltonight?
I answered him simply a promisestill stands.

(08:37):
He laughed, but only slightly.
Then write it clear, scribe,for some of us forget how to
hope.
He is not alone.
I see it in the faces of thefaithful.
Those who once walked boldlynow shuffle under the weight of

(09:00):
doubt.
They fear they've missed thewindow, that the gates of God's
rest have closed behind themlike stone.
But I know, I know the promisestill stands and I must write it

(09:20):
.
I must speak to the heartsgrowing cold in the wilderness.
I must remind them this rest isnot found by the labor of hands
or the keeping of shadows, butby faith, the kind of faith that
listens, obeys and does notharden when God speaks, does not

(09:43):
harden when God speaks.
Outside, the children stilllaugh, the merchants call the
Romans march.
Life does not wait forrevelation, but neither does
truth.
So I write to you.
Beloved wandering Hebrews,aching Gentiles, saints

(10:11):
scattered like seed on foreignsoil, do not miss it.
The word of God is not a quietpoem, it is a sword.
It divides what is flesh andwhat is faith.
It sees you, it knows where youpretend to rest and where you

(10:31):
truly believe.
And yet still, yes, still,there remains a Sabbath rest for
the people of God.
The door has not shut, but youmust not harden your heart.
The door has not shut, but youmust not harden your heart.
Tonight, as I dip my quill andsteady my hand, I do so with

(10:53):
urgency.
Not fear, but urgency, becausethe promise still stands and
time waits for no soul.
I pause for a moment, my handsstill, my heart hushed.
The flame beside me dancesgently now, not wildly, not

(11:19):
anxiously, as if it toounderstands that what I write is
not born of haste but of holypeace.
For though the warning is sharp, the invitation is tender.
There is rest for you, yes, youthe one who stumbles in doubt,

(11:45):
who carries the weight ofunspoken burdens.
There is rest that does notfade with the sun or flee with
the storm.
The God who formed the heavensalso formed a place for your
soul to here now, in obedience,in trust.

(12:09):
This is not a rest won by works.
It is a rest entered by faith.
I think of Joshua, how he ledour ancestors into the land, how
the people believed they hadarrived.
But that rest was only a shadow, a glimpse.

(12:30):
The true Sabbath still awaited,and now, now we stand on the
edge of it.
I feel it in the air.
This generation, we are notmeant to wonder anymore.
Even the birds outside mywindow seem to sing it.

(12:53):
Quietly, faithfully come, enterin.
God's voice still calls.
His promise has not dimmed.
So I write not only to warn butto invite, to say "Let us make

(13:17):
every effort to enter that rest.
Do not mistake effort forearning.
This is the holy striving ofthe heart to surrender, to obey,
to let go of hardened placesand hold fast to the living word
.
Ah, yes, the Word.

(13:41):
It is alive.
Even now, I feel it cut throughme, not to wound but to reveal,
to lay me bare before the eyesof Him to whom I must give
account.
And yet I do not fear, for thisis the gaze of a father, not a

(14:07):
warden.
I will not shrink from hissight.
I will not delay this task.
For we do not write alone, wedo not labor in vain.
We have a great high priest,Jesus, the Son of God, who has

(14:28):
passed through the heavens, whosympathizes with our weakness,
who invites us yes, invites toapproach the throne of grace,
not trembling, not groveling,but boldly, with confidence,

(14:49):
because mercy lives here andgrace waits to help.
So I write through the night,through the wait, through the
quiet hours, because this wordmust live, this truth must rise
and the people, our people, mustknow.

(15:12):
The door is still open, thepromise still stands and the
rest of God is not far.
Now let's take a moment toquiet our hearts and listen to
the word itself.
Let these words sink deep intoyour spirit, bringing comfort,

(15:37):
conviction and encouragement.
Comfort, conviction andencouragement Whether you're
sitting in a quiet place or outin the world.
Allow scripture to meet youright where you are.
I hope you have your favoritecup of tea or coffee.
Sit back, relax and let's stepinto the sacred text of the

(15:59):
Epistle to the Hebrews 4.
The Epistle to the Hebrews 4.

(16:25):
Therefore, while the promise ofentering His rest is still open,
let us take care that none ofyou should seem to have failed
to reach it.
For indeed, the good news cameto us just as to them, but the
message they heard did notbenefit them because they were
not united by faith with thosewho listened.

(16:47):
For we who have believed enterthat rest just as God has said.
As in my anger, I swore theyshall not enter my rest.
Swore they shall not enter myrest, though his works were
finished at the foundation ofthe world.

(17:09):
For in one place it speaksabout the seventh day as follows
and God rested on the seventhday from all his works.
And again in this place, itsays they shall not enter my
rest, since, therefore, itremains open for some to enter
it and those who formerlyreceived the good news failed to
enter because of disobedience.

(17:30):
Again, he sets a certain daytoday, saying, through David,
much later, in the words alreadyquoted, and through David, much
later, in the words alreadyquoted.
Today, if you hear his voice,do not harden your hearts, for
if Joshua had given them rest,God would not speak later about

(17:52):
another day.
So, then, a Sabbath rest stillremains for the people of God,
for those who enter God's restalso cease from their labors, as
God did from His.

(18:12):
Let us therefore make everyeffort to enter that rest so
that no one may fall throughsuch disobedience as theirs.
Indeed, the word of God isliving and active, sharper than
any two-edged sword, piercinguntil it drives soul from spirit
, joints from marrow, it is ableto judge the thoughts and
intentions of the heart, andbefore him no creature is hidden

(18:34):
, but all are naked and laidbare to the eyes of the one to
whom we must render an account.
Since then, we have a greathigh priest who has passed
through the heavens Jesus, theSon of God.
Let us hold fast to ourconfession, for we do not have a

(18:59):
high priest who is unable tosympathize with our weaknesses,
but we have one who, in everyrespect, has been tested, as we
are yet without sin.
Let us therefore approach thethrone of grace with boldness,
so that we may receive mercy andfind grace to help in time of
need.

(19:32):
As we come to the end of ourtime, let's take a moment to
reflect on the powerful truthswoven throughout Hebrews 4.
We sat next to the scribetonight, listened to ancient
words, come alive and heard atender but urgent call, a call
to enter God's rest, not just aphysical rest, but a deep,

(19:58):
soul-level peace that only comesfrom trusting Him.
This chapter reminds us thatthe door is still open, the
invitation is still active, butentering that rest requires
something from us faith,obedience and a heart that
remains soft to His voice.
I encourage you to pause,reflect.

(20:24):
Where are you resisting,striving or trying to earn what
God simply wants to give?
His rest is a gift, but likeall gifts, it must be received.
So we may be a people whobelieve, who listen when he

(20:44):
speaks and who walk boldly tothe throne of grace, confident
not in ourselves but in the onewho has already made the way.
The promise still stands.
So, before we go, I want toinvite you to do something rare.
Not just listen, but linger.

(21:06):
Let the words of Hebrews 4 staywith you.
Not just listen, but linger.
Let the words of Hebrews 4 staywith you, not as something
ancient, but something living,something still reaching for you
right here, right now.
The scribe, whoever he was,didn't just pen theology.

(21:27):
He poured out a plea, a warning, yes, but more than that, a
longing that we would not miss.
What God still offers.
The greatest takeaway in all ofHebrews 4 isn't just that rest

(21:48):
is possible, it's that Godhimself is our rest.
Not a place, not a pause, but aperson.
And the promise still stands.
So where in your life are youstriving when he's asking you to
surrender?
So where in your life are youstriving when he's asking you to

(22:08):
surrender?
Where are you restless when hispresence is calling you home?
Let that question echo beyondthis moment, let it take root,
because the rest he offers isnot far off, it's near and it is

(22:34):
yours, if you will only hearhis voice and not harden your
heart.
Thank you for joining me todayas we journeyed through the
epistle to the Hebrews chapterfour.
I pray that you carry thesereflections with you into your
day, into your week, and thatyou find strength in knowing God
is with you in every trial,every temptation and every step

(22:57):
of obedience.
If this time in God's Word hasencouraged you, take a moment to
share it with someone who mightneed it, and be sure to join me
next time as we continuewalking through the scriptures,
learning, growing and stayingfaithful in the field of life.

(23:18):
Until next time, may you findpeace in the quiet trust in
God's call and rest in Hisunchanging love.
This is In the Field AudioBible, where we Listen to the
Bible One Chapter at a Time.