The reasoning used seems rather strange to us, but we need to think about the problem the writer was trying to address. Before Jesus came the Jews (or at least the religious types) had a great tendency to be self-satisfied and smug about their belonging to God. They thought that because they were "children of Abraham", and God had brought them out of slavery in Egypt they were "in" with God, and that one day He would rescue them. Of course, when He did come to rescue them they nailed Him to a cross. The writer is keen to dispel any notions of complacency. For even those who had now become "Christians" could make the same mistake as their forbears. The writer is trying to get over the message that it is essential for them to actively believe.
This message, of course, applies to all peoples. All of us need to ensure that we take faith seriously. God's call is to actively believe.
In referring to Joshua he is saying that if the promised land had been "it", then God would not have spoken about "another day". The promised land was not the final destination, but a shadow of God's intention for mankind. So we need to "make every effort" to ensure we enter the true rest of God.
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