Wreck n Sow said:
Hi bjh
you wrote
Hebrews 4 seems to indicate that there is rest now - a Sabbath rest not tied to a day but to the Lord of the Sabbath. We who believe enter that rest. "And the one who has entered (past tense) His rest has rested from his works."
Happy day to ya. Im lookin into what ya wrote about Hebrews 4, but decided to look into whats said at the end of Hebrews 3 first just to get a feel as to whats being talked about in 4.
HEBREWS 3 [12]Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God. [13] But exhort one another daily, while it is called To day; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. [14] For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end; [15] While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation. [16] For some, when they had heard, did provoke: howbeit not all that came out of Egypt by Moses. [17] But with whom was he grieved forty years? was it not with them that had sinned, whose carcases fell in the wilderness? [18] And to whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest, but to them that believed not? [19] So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
(out of Egypt - into the wilderness - destoyed them that believe not)
The above new testament passage says you can deny God and Jesus,and walk in the spirit of unbelief. So who are these people and why were they killed in the wilderness? The answer would be very important, as this passage tells us NOT to do as they did and walk with an evil heart of unbelief.
EZEK.20 [10] Wherefore I caused them to go forth out of the land of Egypt, and brought them into the wilderness. [11] And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.[12] Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them.[13] But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness: they walked not in my statutes, and they despised my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them; and my sabbaths they greatly polluted: then I said, I would pour out my fury upon them in the wilderness, to consume them.
Why does the Ezekiel passage merely call the sabbath a sign (v. 12)?
Is it not, like the passover, a sign of the One to come? Is not Christ your Passover Lamb like He is mine? Is not Christ your Sabbath rest like He is mine? The assumption here is "of course He is". Really, what's the squabble over a day of the week when we have much more in Christ?
For many believers, myself included, relatively speaking, the last day of the week means nothing when it comes to the things of Christ. The first day of the week, on which He was raised means everything.
"He who was delivered up because of our transgressions and was raised because of our justification" (Rom 4:25 NASB)
"That I may know Him and the power of His resurrection..." (Phil 3:10)
"He who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord." (Rom 1:4)
"if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins." (1 Cor 15:17)
"...if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom 10:9)
"{I pray that} the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. {These are} in accordance with the working of the strength of His might which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly {places,} far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come." (Eph 1:18-21)
God rested on the seventh day, but He raised His Son on the first. Hallelujah! Isn't that something to celebrate? Isn't that a far better thing? It is for me.
This is who I worship, and this is why I worship. I will not judge you for what you would like to remember, but please don't judge me for what I would like to remember.
