<p>4:1 <i>Therefore, while the promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any one of you should seem to have failed to attain it- </i>As explained on 3:6, we should be able to say that &quot;today&quot; we shall be saved, and be confident in it, if the Lord returns today or we die. The promise of entering salvation in this sense remains to us; all we have to do is believe. But as in Rom. 11, there is the command to fear because of the real possibility of our being like natural Israel. There is a very powerful parable in the account of the wilderness journey through life, whereby the Red Sea represents baptism, eating the manna daily corresponds to daily feeding on the word etc. This parable is alluded to in so many parts of Scripture. However, only a minority of those baptized in the Red Sea actually reached the promised land. Can we expect the parallel with the new Israel to break down at this point? Just look back at your own Christian experience if you can't believe it. Add to this the number of those who spiritually fall asleep, and the frightening similarity between natural and spiritual Israel comes abruptly into focus.</p><p>An element of fear is not wrong in itself. Israel in the wilderness had the pillar of fire to remind them of God's close presence, and to thereby motivate them not to sin: &quot;His fear (will) be before your faces, that you sin not&quot; (Ex. 20:20). Notice how Isaac's guardian angel is described as &quot;the fear&quot; in Gen. 31:42,53 cp. 48:15,16.&nbsp;</p>