Hebrews: Laboring to Rest?

In verse 11 or chapter 4, to come short or to fall short has reference to the attempt of the Israelites to enter the land the day after they rebelled and refused to obey God on the evil report of 10 spies.

The Hebrews to whom Paul writes were on the verge of rebelling and returning to Judaism because of the trials and persecutions that they were enduring.

This portion of the Word of God was not written to encourage backsliding Christians to strive to be all that God wants them to be. It was written to challenge those who might fall away from Christ that the only evidence of the genuineness of the conversion was their perseverance. The Israelites that fell in the wilderness were not God's People because the did not believe Him and thus incurred His wrath. True Christians trust and obey when faced with great odds. They leave it to God to bring them through.

The Canaan rest that Israel failed to enter spoke of God's creation rest and His providential care of His people. Israel's failures were intended to point to another Sabbath rest procured by Jesus Christ for His own and thus, we look forward to that eternal rest in His new creation.