All of us are familiar with the story of the Exodus. After God reveals Himself to Moses at the burning bush, He commands Moses to speak to Pharaoh and have the people of Israel released so they can enter the promised land to serve Him. To achieve this, God performs multiple miracles through Moses to demonstrate His power. After each miracle, we see that Pharaoh hardens his heart until the 6th plague, the plague of Boils. This is where we see a stark contrast, as God hardens Pharaoh's heart. Pharaoh is given multiple chances to hear the word of the LORD, but he shuts his heart in his pride. Pharaoh even goes as far as to acknowledge his own sin against God in Exodus 9:27, saying, “I have sinned this time; the LORD is righteous, and my people and I are the wicked ones.” The key words being “THIS TIME,” but acknowledging sin and repenting from sin are two different things! Even after this, God, in His infinite mercy, gives Pharaoh 4 more opportunities to repent of his sins, but he continues to harden his heart until the LORD brings calamity upon his head by drowning him and all his men in the Red Sea. 

Hebrews 4: 6-7 says 

“6 Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, 7 He again fixes a certain day, “TODAY,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before, “Today if you hear His voice, do not harden your Hearts.” God offered this rest to His people in Moses’ time and continued to offer it in David’s time. And He is still patiently inviting His people to enter His rest today.

The entire 4th chapter of Hebrews invites those who have not entered the eternal rest found in Christ Jesus to truly take hold of our great Sabbath (Matthew 12:8). This direct invitation was addressed to members of the Jewish nation who had heard the Gospel and rejected it in disobedience. This rejection is all too familiar; we see it in our own lives and in our friends, family, and co-workers, who reject the peace found in the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). But God, in His lovingkindness, reminds us that TODAY is the day to take hold of Christ. There is nothing we must do to prepare to come to Christ. We must answer the call of the Holy Spirit, who prompts us to take hold of Christ. 

“At the acceptable time I listened to you, and on the day of Salvation I helped you.” Behold, NOW is “the acceptable time,” behold, NOW is “The day of Salvation.” 2 Corinthians 6:2 But do not take for granted God's invitation to eternal rest! For God Himself will shut the door on those who do not answer. 

For example, Noah was one of only eight humans saved during the great flood. But Noah was not merely a man who built a boat; he was a devout preacher of righteousness (Gen 6:9) and warned of the coming judgment for the unrepentant sinner. For nearly 120 years, Noah preached to his fellow man to repent and turn back to God, for God's wrath would soon come upon them in the form of rain (which, mind you, none of these people had ever seen before, Hebrews 11:7) and eruptions of the deep. Noah’s fellow man went on living as is, unrepentant and unwilling to take hold of the Life God offered in the Ark, Matthew 24:38-39 says, “For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noah entered the ark, and they did not understand until the flood came and took them all away; so will the coming of the Son of Man be.”

Do not let your pride or your desire for this world hinder your eternal rest found in Christ. J.C. Ryle said, “Pride is the innermost coat which we take off last and put on first.” Today, let your heart be humble before the word of God and find peace and rest in His promises even in Christ Jesus. Amen