**Sip Saturday is written by our Saturday morning contributor, M.H. Elrich. A beautifully gifted Christian author who seeks to honor the Trinity in her writing. She hopes that her words will encourage women to draw closer to God, whether that is through her fantasy series or her weekly devotionals.
Cornerstone Scripture:
“For if Jesus [Joshua] had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.”
-Hebrews 4:8 KJV
I have several family members whose names start with J. So many that I will stumble over the names, trying to remember them. The situation only got worse as I became a teacher. I couldn’t tell you how many Sophie/a, Kaity, Isabelle/a, Rylie, Dylan, and other similar names I’ve had to teach. I feel terrible as I stumble over previous students or even current students’ names, trying to remember if this was Sophie or Sophia, Isabella or Isabelle or is it Belle? Yet, because names are so important, I try my best to remember people’s names.
When I came to this passage, I was at first confused by the translation. How could Jesus not give us true rest? Then, I looked at other translations, who had used the name Joshua instead. Suddenly, I understood. Joshua was the originator of our use of the name Jesus. In fact, it is a more accurate spelling in English, as the Hebrew term is Yeshua, which means Yahweh saves or God is my salvation. Yet, it is an important distinction to know which Jesus or Joshua or Yeshua the author of Hebrews is writing about. Jesus, our Savior, is different from Joshua, the successor of Moses.
Joshua led the Israelites into the Promised Land. He was the one featured in the famous story of Jericho, and he is the one who divided up the land among the various tribes. He gave the edict that the Israelites were to conquer the other peoples in the Promised Land. To him was given several of my favorite verses:
“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.” (Joshua 1:9).
“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” (Joshua 24:15).
Despite all of his accomplishments and his faithfulness to God, the author of Hebrews rightly points out that he, as a mere mortal, was unable to provide true rest to God’s people. Yes, there was a time of peace and prosperity under his rule. But as anyone who has read the book of Judges knows, the land soon fell back into chaos with bickering. People did what was right in their own eyes (Judges 21:25). Joshua was unable to establish lasting peace. There was only one who was able to do that: Jesus, the inheritor of that name, and the Prince of Peace.
Rest cannot be found through our efforts. God alone gives us true rest for our souls. This is because Jesus did what Joshua could not: lived a perfect life, died, and rose from the grave, establishing an eternal rest. So, if you’re feeling anxious, worried, or striving to do it all on your own day after day, remember that you cannot make rest for yourself. Turn to God with your concerns, surrender your striving, and let the Prince of Peace fill you.
Let’s pray.
Dear Lord, please help me to realize ways in which I’ve been rejecting the rest you give your people and striving on my own. Let me surrender those striving to you and experience your peace. In Your Son’s Name, Amen.
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