Searching for the Self: Classic Stories, Christian Scripture, and the Quest for Personal Identity

by Adrian T. Smith

The author of Hebrews was a pastor, writing to help these demoralized and discouraged listeners. The pastor searched the Old Testament for a spatial image of this demoralized place in life . . . and the analogy he found was Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness: We must be afraid—in case, with an enduring promise to enter God’s rest, any of you seem to miss out. For we, too, have received good news—just like the Israelites in the wilderness. But the word they heard did not benefit them, because they did not combine hearing with faithfulness. Now we—the faithful—do enter into God’s rest, just as he said in the psalm: “As I swore in my anger: No way those Israelites will enter into my rest!”—speaking about his rest, even though his work was finished at the foundation of the universe. For he spoke elsewhere about the seventh day, saying: “And God rested on the seventh day from all his works.” Yet in the psalm he said, “No way those Israelites will enter into my rest!” Since, then, it remains for someone to enter into God’s rest (and the first generation failed to enter because of unfaithfulness), God, many years later, appointed another opportunity—“Today!”— saying in a psalm, through David: “Today—if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts!” Now, obviously, if Joshua (in the Conquest of Canaan) had obtained true rest for Israel, God would not have spoken of another opportunity (many years later). So, then: there remains a sabbath rest for the people of God; for the per...