Thomas Aquinas Commentary Hebrews 4:1-8

"Let us fear therefore, lest haply, a promise being left of entering into his rest, any one of you should seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good tidings preached unto us, even as also they: but the word of hearing did not profit them, because it was not united by faith with them that heard. For we who have believed do enter into that rest; even as he hath said, As I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For he hath said somewhere of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God rested on the seventh day from all his works; and in this [place] again, They shall not enter into my rest. Seeing therefore it remaineth that some should enter thereinto, and they to whom the good tidings were before preached failed to enter in because of disobedience, he again defineth a certain day, To-day, saying in David so long a time afterward (even as hath been said before), To-day if ye shall hear his voice, Harden not your hearts. For if Joshua had given them rest, he would not have spoken afterward of another day." — Hebrews 4:1-8 (ASV)

Having cited and explained the authority, the Apostle now argues from it. In this regard, he does two things:

1. He urges them to be diligent to enter.
2. He advises them to hurry to enter (verse 11).

Regarding the first point, he again does two things:

1. He instills fear in them.
2. He shows that urgency should compel them (verse 2).

Therefore, he says: It has been stated that God was offended by those who would not believe, so that He swore they would not enter His rest. Therefore, let us fear—that is, with a reverent fear and with diligence. As Scripture says, Blessed is the man that is always fearful (Proverbs 28:14), and, He that thinks himself to stand, let him take heed lest he fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). For such fear is a useful warning and a companion of three spiritual virtues: hope, faith, and love. As it is written, I am the mother of fair love and of fear and of knowledge and of holy hope .

But what should we fear? While the promise of entering His rest remains, we should fear that any of you might be found to have fallen short of it. For happiness consists in entering that rest: Happy shall I be if there shall remain of my seed to see the glory of Jerusalem ; Looking diligently, lest any man be wanting to the grace of God (Hebrews 12:15). This is because, as Chrysostom says, “The punishment of not seeing God is greater than other punishments inflicted on the damned.” The Apostle says we should fear being judged to have fallen short, whether according to God’s judgment—Depart, you accursed, into everlasting fire (Matthew 25:41)—or according to human opinion, as in, For know you this and understand that no fornicator or unclean or covetous person (which is a serving of idols) has inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God (Ephesians 5:5).

Therefore, we should fear being found to have fallen short, because the promise of entering was made to us: And my people shall sit in the beauty of peace and in the tabernacles of confidence and in wealthy rest (Isaiah 32:18); and, From henceforth now says the Spirit, that they rest from their labors (Revelation 14:13). One should fear, then, that on account of one's own guilt, he fails to enter by abandoning the promise. We abandon this promise by deserting faith, hope, and love, through which we are able to enter. This is done through mortal sin.

Then he shows what urgency should compel us. In this regard, he does two things:

1. He states his intention.
2. He proves it (verse 3).

Regarding the first point, he shows that this promise has been made to us, but also that the promise is not enough (verse 2b).

Therefore, he says, for good news came to us as to them. Here it should be noted that the things promised in the Old Testament should be understood spiritually: All things happened to them in a figure (1 Corinthians 10:11); What things soever were written, were written for our learning (Romans 13:4).

Then, when he says, but the message did not benefit them, he shows that the promise is not enough and that we should be diligent. Hence, he says that the message, which was heard but not believed, did not benefit them at all: For not the hearers but the doers of the law will be justified (Romans 2:13). He says it was not being united with faith, because just as the union of the intellect and the thing understood makes one thing, so the believer's heart and a living faith make one thing: He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit (1 Corinthians 6:17). For the words of God are so effective that they should be believed as soon as they are heard: your testimonies are become exceedingly credible (Psalms 92:5).

Then, when he says, for we who have believed enter that rest, he proves his conclusion. In this regard, he does three things:

1. He shows that it is necessary for us to believe, just as it was for them.
2. He cites two authorities to prove his proposition (verse 3c).
3. He argues from them (verse 6).

Therefore, he says: The word was spoken to us, as it was to them, that we shall enter into rest: In peace in the selfsame, I will sleep and be at rest (Psalms 4:9); You shall rest and there shall be none to make you afraid (Job 11:19). But there is a twofold rest: one is in external goods, and a person passes to it from peace of mind; the other is in spiritual good, which is within, and a person enters into it: Enter into the joy of your lord (Matthew 25:21); The king has brought me into his storerooms (Song of Solomon 1:3). Then he cites the authority: As I have sworn in my wrath: they shall never enter my rest.

Then (verse 3b) he cites two authorities: one from the Law in Genesis (chapter 2) and the other from Psalm 94. He says, therefore, regarding the first: although his works from the foundation of the world were finished. This can be read in two ways. One way is by omitting the "for." Then the sense is this: they shall enter into the rest which was prefigured by the seventh day from the foundation of the world. And God rested the seventh day from all his works. Alternatively, the Holy Spirit spoke in a certain place of the seventh day, speaking after describing the works of the six days, when the works from the foundation of the world were finished. But he says, from the foundation of the world, because the world was first established, and after six days it was made perfect in all its parts.

Regarding the distinction of the days, the saints speak in different ways; for Augustine treats the matter differently from the other saints. Yet no matter how they are treated, it is clear that those works were perfect. For they contain a twofold perfection. One is according to the parts of the world, which are heaven and the four elements; this was accomplished by the work of creation, which occurred on the first day, and by the work of distinction, which occurred on the second and third day. In this, Augustine agrees with the others. The other perfection is according to the individual parts. This pertains to the work of ornamentation, which occurred on the fourth day for the higher things, on the fifth day for the intermediate elements (namely, air and water), and on the sixth day for the earth, which is the lowest element.

But if God rested on the seventh day, who then made that day, if it is not also a work of God? My father works until now and I work (John 5:17). I answer that "rest" is not used here as the opposite of labor, but as the opposite of motion. For even when He creates He is not being moved. Yet, because we speak of Him only in terms of sensible things in which there is no activity without motion, every action, broadly speaking, is called a motion. He is said to have rested because He ceased from creating new kinds of things. So God rested from producing works, because all things, in a sense, pre-existed. And so, God made the seventh day as He made every other day, because something was added then, for that was the time when the state of purgation began. For every addition changed the state of the world and constituted a new day.

It should be noted with Augustine that he does not simply say that God rested, but that He rested from His works. For He rested in Himself from all eternity, but when He rested, it was not in His works, but from His works. God works in a different manner from other artisans. An artisan, like a house builder who makes a house to rest in it or a knife-maker who makes a knife for gain, acts because of a need; hence, the desire of every artisan comes to rest in his work. But this is not so with God, because He does not act out of need but to communicate His goodness. Hence, He does not rest in His work, but from producing a work; and He rests only in His goodness.

Then he cites the authority of David, which has already been explained. But when he says, since, then, it remains for some to enter it, he argues from the premises. In this regard, he does two things:

1. He accepts the sense of the second authority.
2. He argues from the first (verse 9).

Regarding the first point, he extracts two things from the second authority. One is well known, namely, that the ancestors did not enter. The other is that during the time of David there remained another rest to be given. For although the promised rest was to be obtained in the promised land, the fact that David, so long afterward, says, Today, if you hear his voice, harden not your hearts, shows that another rest remains. Otherwise, he would have made no mention of the rest. There is, therefore, a rest into which we are to enter, but which they did not enter because of unbelief.

Therefore, because they did not enter, others to whom the promise was made must enter, because those to whom it was first preached did not enter. Therefore, it remains for others to enter. The reason for this is that if God created man for eternal happiness—for He created him in His own image and likeness—He prepared a rest for him. Therefore, although someone might be excluded because of his sin, God does not wish that preparation to have been made in vain. Therefore, some will enter, as is clear from those invited to the wedding feast: The marriage, indeed, is ready, but they that were invited are not worthy. Go, therefore, into the highways and as many as you shall find, call to the marriage (Matthew 22:8–9).

Then when he says, For if Joshua had given them rest, God would never have afterwards spoken of another day, he proves that it remains for others to enter. For if Jesus, son of Nave (that is, Joshua), had given the children of Israel the final rest, another rest would not remain for us, nor would David have spoken of another rest after Joshua's time. Hence, it is clear that that rest was a sign of spiritual rest.