Let’s read through the book of Hebrews one verse at a time in 2023. Every day explore a single verse and its cross references. AI-generated text draws the passages together. RSS feed.
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken of another day later on.
The cross references for Hebrews 4:8 all relate to the idea of rest and inheritance that God has promised to His people. This is seen in the references to Joshua leading the Israelites into their promised land and the references to their faith in God in spite of their circumstances. In other words, these cross references point to the idea that God will provide rest and inheritance to His people, even if it is not immediate or in the way they expect.
| Passage | How It’s Related (AI-Generated) |
|---|---|
| Deuteronomy 12:9: for you have not as yet come to the rest and to the inheritance that the Lord your God is giving you. | Both passages address the concept of rest. Hebrews 4:8 explains that God promised a rest that Joshua was not able to provide, so God spoke of another day later on. Deuteronomy 12:9 speaks of the rest and inheritance that the LORD God is providing, which is the rest that was promised in Hebrews 4:8. This rest is ultimately fulfilled in Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate source of rest for believers. |
| Joshua 1:15: until the Lord gives rest to your brothers as he has to you, and they also take possession of the land that the Lord your God is giving them. Then you shall return to the land of your possession and shall possess it, the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you beyond the Jordan toward the sunrise.” | Both passages refer to the promise of rest for the Israelites in the Promised Land. Hebrews 4:8 alludes to the promise made to Joshua in Joshua 1:15, where God promised to provide rest for the Israelites once they had taken possession of the land. Joshua 1:15 promises that the Israelites will have rest when they take possession of the land that Moses had given them. |
| Joshua 22:4: And now the Lord your God has given rest to your brothers, as he promised them. Therefore turn and go to your tents in the land where your possession lies, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan. | Both passages reference the promise of rest that God gave to the Israelites after their time of wandering in the wilderness. Hebrews 4:8 states that Joshua did not give them this rest, but that God spoke of a later day. Joshua 22:4 confirms that God had given rest to the Israelites, which was fulfilled through the land that Moses gave them on the other side of the Jordan. |
| Joshua 23:1: A long time afterward, when the Lord had given rest to Israel from all their surrounding enemies, and Joshua was old and well advanced in years, | Both passages refer to the same event in the history of the Israelites: the time of rest that the LORD had given them after their enemies had been defeated. Hebrews 4:8 refers to this time of rest in the context of a warning to the Hebrews not to be complacent, as God had promised a future rest that they had yet to attain. Joshua 23:1 refers to the same time of rest in the context of a reminder to the Israelites that they should remain faithful to the LORD, as He had been faithful to them in giving them rest. |
| Psalm 78:55: He drove out nations before them; he apportioned them for a possession and settled the tribes of Israel in their tents. | Both passages refer to the Israelites' journey and settlement in the Promised Land. Hebrews 4:8 speaks of Joshua leading the Israelites into the Promised Land, but God spoke of a later day, indicating that the rest they found was not complete. Psalm 78:55 describes how God drove out the nations before them and apportioned the land to the Israelites, settling them in their tents. |
| Psalm 105:44: And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples' toil, | Both passages refer to God's promise to give the Israelites a land of their own. Hebrews 4:8 is referring to the promise made to Joshua to lead the Israelites into the promised land, but the passage also acknowledges that God had promised to give them a land even after Joshua's time had passed. Psalm 105:44 speaks of God fulfilling that promise by giving the Israelites the lands of other nations and taking possession of the fruit of their labor. |
| Acts 7:45: Our fathers in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our fathers. So it was until the days of David, | Both passages refer to the same individual, Joshua. Hebrews 4:8 reflects on God's promise to Joshua to give the Israelites rest in the Promised Land, which was not fulfilled. Acts 7:45 speaks of how Joshua helped to fulfill God's promise to the Israelites by leading them into the Promised Land and dispossessing the nations that were living there. |
| Hebrews 11:13-15: These all died in faith, not having received the things promised, but having seen them and greeted them from afar, and having acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, they would have had opportunity to return. | Both passages refer to the faith of the Israelites in the promise of a homeland. Hebrews 4:8 references the fact that God promised them another day, which was fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. Hebrews 11:13-15 speaks of the faith of the Israelites in the promised homeland, even though they did not receive it in their lifetime. They acknowledged that they were strangers and exiles on the earth and were looking forward to a promised homeland. |
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your faithfulness and Your promises to Your people. We praise You for Your provision and Your protection throughout the ages. We thank You for giving rest to Your people, for leading them into the land You promised them, and for the inheritance You bestowed upon them.
We ask that You would continue to give us rest in our lives, that You would provide for us and protect us as You did for Your people in the past. Help us to remember that we are strangers and exiles on this earth, and that our true home is with You in Heaven.
We pray that You would give us the strength and courage to remain faithful to You and to trust in Your promises. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
This reading plan reads through a single verse each day, six days a week, paired with the most-popular cross references for the verse. AI-generated (and human-reviewed) text provides an opening thought and concluding prayer along with an explanation for how each cross reference relates to the verse. In 2023, this reading plan works through Hebrews one verse at a time. Every seventh day is a catchup day. Want more info? Try this blog post.
Unless otherwise indicated, all content is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Copyright ©2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Contact me: openbibleinfo (at) gmail.com.