The issue of the book of Hebrews is apostasy--falling away, departing the Christian faith, failing to enter God's salvation rest in Jesus Christ, the issue is not the Saturday Sabbath.
And to the issue of falling away, the writer brings the example of failure to enter Canaan (Heb 3:16-19, 4:2-3, 6, 11), the land of
promised rest (Dt 12:9-10, 25:19; Joshua 1:13, 11:23, 21:44, 22:4, 23:1). Because they refused to enter, God closed the doors of Canaan in the face of a whole generation of Israelites (Nu 14:21-35). These NT Hebrews were facing a similar danger in their consideration of returning to their OT religion (Heb 4:2, 6, 11, 14, 6:4-8).
The promise of entering God's rest still stands, but not in Canaan-rest, that door has been closed (Hebrews 4:3). It remains in the spiritual Sabbath-rest of salvation in Jesus Christ, entered into only by faith in the person and work of Jesus Christ, not by one's own work. Salvation-rest in Jesus Christ is spiritual rest
from our own work to save, and rest
in Christ's saving work which saved us. It is into God's own Sabbath-rest that we are called (Hebrews 4:7-9) to enter (Hebrews 4:10-11) in Jesus Christ.
NT Sabbath-rest is rest in the salvation work of Jesus Christ, which these NT Hebrews were in danger of failing to enter, just as was done at Canaan, by returning to their OT religion.
And not only would they not be entering God's Sabbath-rest in Jesus Christ, they would also be forfeiting the only sacrifice for their sin, rendering their hearts hardened and unable to repent while crucifying the Son of God all over again (as the Jews did at Calvary--Acts 7:51-52) subjecting him to public disgrace (Hebrews 6:6).
I was having a discussion with a friend and hoping you will consider these scriptures in regards to God's 4th commandment and how "rest" is referenced.
None of these scriptures provided says anywhere that the Sabbath is eternally fulfilled in Christ and God's 4th commandment is abolished. Let's look at the detail of the scriptures quoted.
Thanks, I will examine them.
But keep in mind that the issue in Heb 4:1-13 is not about Hebrews failing to observe the Sabbath, but about some NT Hebrews who, because of persecution by the Jews and threatened disinheritance from their families, were considering a return to their OT religion, which the writer of Hebrews characterizes as failing to enter God's full-time Sabbath-rest because of unbelief.
Many get mixed up in the "shadows" because they do not understand the difference between God's eternal law that gives us the knowledge of what sin is in the old and new covenant *
Romans 3:20;
Romans 7:7;
1 John 3:4 and the prophetic shadow laws that point to things to come in the body of Christ for remission of sins that are a part of Gods salvation for all mankind *
Colossians 2:17;
Hebrews 10:1-17.
It is "impossible" for Gods' 4th commandment Sabbath of the 10 commandments to be a "shadow law" of anything but here is the reasons why....
1.
God's Sabbath was made "before" sin and before the laws and
Gods' plan of salvation was given to all mankind *
Genesis 2:1-3
Indeed. . .and in Scripture we find
no giving of the day of God's rest to mankind until the Mosaic Covenant (Exodus 19:3-8) conditions (Exodus 20:11), so we must not, and cannot assume that it was given earlier.
2. According to the scriptures the Sabbath was made for mankind when mankind was in perfect harmony with their creator and sinless and walked and talked with God face to face. Adam and Eve were created on the 6th day and the Sabbath was made for mankind on the seventh day *
Genesis 1:26-31;
Genesis 2:1-3 and
Mark 2:27 of creation where God blessed the "seventh day" of creation and made it a holy day of rest for all mankind.
3. God's Sabbath is a part of the "finished work of creation" it is day seven of a seven day week that God blessed and made a holy day of rest for all man *
Genesis 2:1-3
4. God's 4th commandment of the 10 commandments points "backwards" to the finished work of creation, not "forwards" to things to come. For example God's 4th commandment of the 10 commandments starts off as "REMEMBER THE SABBATH DAY TO KEEP IT HOLY" (memorial - remember) -
Exodus 20:8. God's 4th commandment therefore is a "memorial" of the "finished work of creation" this is also shown when it is written " [10], But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD your God" and also the reason for the memorial commandment that points backward to the "finished work of creation" as further evidence is given in "v11, For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: why the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it."
5. There was no JEW, there was no ISRAEL and there was no Moses when God made the "seventh" day Sabbath rest for all mankind *
Genesis 2:1-3;
Mark 2:27. Jesus is Lord and creator of the Sabbath and he commands his people to keep it as a memorial of the finished work of creation and a holy day rest and a celebration of God as the creator of heaven and earth *
Mark 2:28;
Exodus 20:8-11;
James 2:10-11;
Hebrews 4:9
6. Shadow laws point "forward" to things to come not backwards to things completed which the Sabbath and God's 4th commandments points back to.
Types, patterns, shadows are
physical realities that point to
spiritual realities to come.
Hebrews 4:1-13 reveals the New Covenant
spiritual reality of the
physical rest of the Old Covenant Sabbath day for the people of God, which emphasis was on
rest (Exodus 23:3; Deuteronomy 5:14), and about which God was
most emphatic (Exodus 31:14-15, 35:2-3; Numbers 15:32-36; Jeremiah 17:21-22, 27). In light of its NT eternal spiritual reality of salvation-rest in Christ, we can see why so much emphasis was placed by God on
rest.
It is God's
own full-time (v.3b) Sabbath-rest (Hebrews 4:10) we enter into in the NT full-time spiritual salvation-rest of Jesus Christ, where we rest
from our work to save and rest
in Jesus finished work which saves, and which these NT Hebrews were in danger of not entering by returning to their OT religion.
7. JESUS is the Lord and creator of the Sabbath and kept it as a holy day of rest and taught us how to correctly keep the Sabbath the way he intended it to be kept.
Jesus taught us how to keep all the Levitical laws which are no longer in force--sacrifices, feasts, days, years, etc., not just how to keep the Sabbath.
8.
The Sabbath will continue to be kept after the second coming
in the new heavens and new earth. *
Isaiah 66:22-23.
Yes, for all eternity, we will rest in the finished work of Christ on the cross. The spiritual Sabbath-rest of Hebrews 4:1-13 is eternal, as is the priesthood of Melchizedek, the removal of sin by the atoning sacrifice for those in Christ, the adoption as sons of God, the gift of the Holy Spirit, etc. are all eternal.
The above scriptural evidence is provided to prove that it is impossible and not biblical to claim that the Sabbath is a shadow of anything. God does not change his laws so that we are free to break them.
Hebrews 3 and
Hebrews 4 actually prove the Sabbath is still to be kept by the people of God who believe and follow Gods Word and that we enter into God's Sabbath rest only as we believe and follow Gods' Word. Let's look at what the scriptures actually say. The key here is letting the scriptures define what "God's Rest" in
Hebrews 4.
WHAT IS GOD'S REST/HIS REST/MY REST IN
HEBREWS 4 AND OTHER SCRIPTURE?
HEBREWS 4:1-11
[1], Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into
HIS REST, any of you should seem to come short of it.
[2], For to us was the gospel preached, as well as to them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
[3], For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into
MY REST: ALTHOUGH THE WORKS WERE FINISHED FROM THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD.
[4], FOR HE SPOKE IN A CERTAIN PLACE (GENSIS 2:1-3) OF THE
SEVENTH DAY ON THIS WISE, AND
GOD DID REST THE SEVENTH DAY FROM ALL HIS WORKS.
[5], And in this place again, If they shall enter into
MY REST.
NOTE: CONTEXT is God's REST from the SEVENTH DAY SABBATH REST OF CREATION (
v4-5) and those who BELIEVE and FOLLOW GOD's WORD enter into God's SABBATH REST as GOD did on the SEVENTH DAY of the week. CONTEXT is GOD's SEVENTH DAY SABBATH REST and those who BELIEVE AND FOLLOW GOD'S WORD enter into that rest which God's WORD defines as the SEVENTH DAY SABBATH which is GOD'S REST! Let's continue...
6], Seeing therefore it remains that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached
entered not in because of unbelief:
[7], Again, he limits a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if you will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
[8], For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
[9],
SO THEN IT REMAINS FOR THE PEOPLE OF GOD TO KEEP THE SABBATH.
Now notice
Hebrews 4, verse 9: “There remains therefore a SABBATH
rest to the people of God.” In verses 1, 3, 4 and 8, the Greek word for “rest” is
katapausin. It means “rest.” But in verse 9, the Greek word for “rest” is
sabbatismos, which is a Hebrew word—
Sabbat, which means “the Sabbath”—combined with a Greek suffix—
ismos, which means “a keeping of” or “a doing of.” Put together,
sabbatismo means “a keeping of the Sabbath.” When correctly translated,
Hebrews 4:9 should read, “There remains therefore a
keeping of the Sabbath to the people of God.”
10], For he that is entered into
HIS REST (v9 God's SABBATH REST), he also has ceased from his own works, as God did from his.
[11],
LET US LABOR THEREFORE TO ENTER INTO THAT REST (God's SEVENTH DAY SABBATH REST)
, lest any man fall after the same
example of unbelief (
HEBREWS 3).
In relation to the
physical rest of Ex 20, which the author here maintains, what does that even mean--labor to rest?
That text is not about the Sabbath-rest of Ex 20. It is about the NT spiritual Sabbath rest in Jesus Christ which is entered into only through
belief.
Hebrews 3 and Hebrews 4 are talking about both the
Gospel rest of believing and following God's word;
That is faith. How is faith related to the
physical rest of the Sabbath commanded by God in Ex 20? There is no
connection in Heb 3 and 4 between
believing God's word and the
physical Sabbath rest of Ex 20.
Association of texts is not connection of texts.
v29 Learn of me; v30 my burden (doing) is light. This agrees with Hebrews 4:2 For unto us was
the gospel preached, as well as
unto them: but
the word preached did not profit them,
not being mixed
with faith in them that heard it, and God’s rest they enter into which is the seventh day Sabbath rest of
Genesis 2:1-3.
The gospel preached to the OT Hebrews which they did not believe (Heb 4:2) was not the gospel of Mt 11, it was the gospel preached to Abraham (Galatians 3:8). So the association here is:
Mt 11 light burden-->gospel preached, not believed-->Sabbath physical rest. There is no connection in that association.
Again, association of texts is not connection of texts.
Faith is the issue here, and is not addressed in the explanation above. Hebrews 4:3 shows that
the writer is using
the example of Israel's refusal to go into Canaan--because of
unbelief, causing God to shut out (Numbers 14:21-35) a whole generation of Israelites (Hebrews 4:3) from the Canaan rest from their enemies--
as a warning not to refuse to go into NT salvation-rest because of
unbelief, not to return to their OT religion.
This agrees with Hebrews 4:1-5 where
the topic is not our rest but God’s rest
The topic is
our entering (v.1) into God's full-time rest (v.3b) of
salvation without works. There is a
spiritual rest remaining for the people of
faith, in God's own full-time Sabbath-rest. Faith is not related to
physical rest, it is related to God's full-time
spiritual salvation-rest in Jesus Christ.
from the seventh day after finishing creation on the seventh day Sabbath in reference to His Rest v1; My Rest v3-5with v4 saying For he spoke in a certain place (Genesis 2:1-3) of the seventh day on this wise, and God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
Hebrews 4:9-11 showing that it remains for the people of God to enter into God’s rest and continue keeping the seventh day Sabbath by believing and following Gods’ Word – the gospel (the Word of God).
Hebrews 4:9-11 showing that
Canaan rest was no longer available (Hebrews 4:3),
but there still remains a spiritual Sabbath-rest in God for those NT Hebrews, which was not a rest from physical works, but rest from spiritual works to earn salvation.
because God again set a certain day, calling it TODAY (Hebrews 4:6-7),
which is not rest in Canaan whose doors are closed (Hebrews 4:3),
but is entering the full-time Sabbath-rest of God, in the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross, where the believer rests full-time
from his own spiritual works to save and rests
in Christ's work which has saved.
And, finally, I think I have to conclude that the author here
1) did not address Heb 4:1-13 in its context; i.e., failing to enter God's full-time Sabbath rest due to unbelief, and that
2) he regards what he sees as associations to be linking connections.
Association does not establish connection of texts, and is a much-flawed hermeneutic being used by some on these threads.