In verse 11, we are admonished to “make every effort to enter” this New Covenant rest, this sabbatismos, for if we do not, we will “fall by following their example of disobedience”. To understand this admonition, we must consider precisely who the “example” is here and what their “disobedience” consists of. The example here refers back to chapter three, where we find mention of Israel being led through the desert, coming upon the promised land and choosing not to enter but return to Egypt. The key to their failure here is “disobedience”, apeitheia in the Greek. This term literally means to be unpersuaded or unconvinced. If we recall the story (Numbers 12-14), Israel has come to the promised land and sent 12 spies in to check it out. Ten say there is no way Israel can take the land, while two say God has told us it is ours and we can surely take it. Israel is unpersuaded or unconvinced by those choosing to act in accordance with what God said and chooses to return to Egypt. Israel chooses to cling to the old rather than enter the new which God had promised them, and this is the example we are admonished not to follow. We have been promised here a new type of rest, a sabbatismos, a permanent state or condition of rest, as opposed to the temporary old “day” of rest. Just as in the example, it is being “unconvinced” of this new rest God has promised here in Hebrews and clinging to the old which brings about the failure to enter. It is the failure to be convinced of this permanent state of rest, this permanent rest for the search for meaning and purpose in life, which causes us to cling to the old, temporary rest of a day off from work. While this may still be a useful thing to hold to from a purely practical sense, a failure to be convinced of the existence of a new rest as well (set forth here in Hebrews), can cause us to fail to enter this new rest as well. May we hold to the old rest, while also being convinced of the existence and benefit of entering into the new as well.