10 For Ten (3)
Sermon • Submitted • Presented
0 ratings
· 1 viewNotes
Transcript
Introduction
Rest can be elusive
Fit full night times
Restless, worrisome days
chaos and disorder in our world, in our lives
It’s amazing what God has made our bodies to do while we sleep
But this restlessness, is deeper than just that
It permeates our world, it permeated Israel much of the time
Quick recap - 10 Commandments are about Israel’s covenantal relationship with Yahweh/Elohim and life in Him
Commandment 4
I. Begins at Creation
I. Begins at Creation
A. God’s Creation Purpose
Chaos to order
Disorder to design
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
God was designing the world as we know it to be filled with life
So on one hand the sabbath is to show and remind our world that we are here because, through and in Him.
And so to ask, “Why did God rest?”
Not because he was tired
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom.
Why then? And why on the seventh day?
B. Seven
It’s most likely because of this sabbath day of God’s rest that the number 7 has it’s significance in Israel and Scripture
the number 7 in Scripture stands for complete/fullness
So God rested, not because he was tired, but because he had finished his work
The word for sabbath(Shabbat) means to stop or cease from
But even more so because It was complete, full
In other words, all things were as they were to be and continue to be
It was God, man and creation in restful, harmonius relationship together.
This is what was to continue....
No morning or evening on the seventh day
This is what humans were to pursue and foster as God’s representatives
In fact, in the commandment here in Ex 20 the word for rest means to settle down/stay settled.
All was as it was suppose to be.
C. The Fall
The fall - Ch 3 undid it all
broken relationships
hard, discouraging work
animosity between all of creation
Broken fellowship with God
The choice by Adam and Eve, breaks all harmony and rather brings about chaos and disorder, death.
It breaks God’s forever rest
But God is not undone
So He begins to restore it through his called, set apart people
II. Israel and the Sabbath
II. Israel and the Sabbath
The Sabbath was central to Israel and central in the 10 commandments
It ends up between the love God and love others commandments
And God uses His pattern, as a commanded pattern of sabbath/rest for His people.
A. Person of Rest
And the Lord said to Moses, “You are to speak to the people of Israel and say, ‘Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you.
So this connects to the first 3 commandments
It ties back to creation as we see in Ex 20 and 31
And it ties deeply to God’s oneness as creator and as Israel’s Lord and God
ie. Yahweh/Elohim - to be fully worshipped as set apart, and honored as such
This is through whom they would experience “life” as they followed God and His ways and death if they did not.
So they are commanded to remember and keep the Sabbath day as a set apart day
B. Practice of Rest
“Observe the Sabbath day by keeping it holy, as the Lord your God has commanded you. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your male or female servant, nor your ox, your donkey or any of your animals, nor any foreigner residing in your towns, so that your male and female servants may rest, as you do. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the Lord your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. Therefore the Lord your God has commanded you to observe the Sabbath day.
Again God’s salvation was the basis of his commandments and the Sabbath was a means of honoring that
Moses was sent to Pharoah, to lead the Israelites out that they might worship Him.
And so the Sabbath was also a day of worship
Ex 31 lays this out
It is written in the context of and following the instruction for the tabernacle and worship
The tabernacle was again the place of God with man
And worship was(is) them meeting with their God
It was meant to display the actual meaning of this world and their existence
Life in perfect harmony with all of creation.
Notice that in the large list of who should rest it includes, men, women, children, slaves and animals.
So as Jon from the Bible project states, “Take one day a week to live like the ultimate rest had already come.”
It was not about inactivity but worship
C. The Promise of rest
But it also pointed ahead.
You are not to do as we do here today, everyone doing as they see fit, since you have not yet reached the resting place and the inheritance the Lord your God is giving you. But you will cross the Jordan and settle in the land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance, and he will give you rest from all your enemies around you so that you will live in safety. Then to the place the Lord your God will choose as a dwelling for his Name—there you are to bring everything I command you: your burnt offerings and sacrifices, your tithes and special gifts, and all the choice possessions you have vowed to the Lord.
Now that the Lord your God has given them rest as he promised, return to your homes in the land that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you on the other side of the Jordan.
Once again sin, rebellion and Idolatry undo this rest and bring Israel into exile and bondage
These all were a shadow of who and what was to come.
III. The Sabbath for Us
III. The Sabbath for Us
Enter Jesus
For if Joshua had given them rest, God would not have spoken later about another day. There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
A. Not fully realized for Israel vs 8
Why?
So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief.
This is all a warning to these Jewish believers to not fall away into this same unbelief
B. Ultimately Through Jesus vs 10
vs 3 - we who have believed entered that rest
We are in already!
So while this commandment is not restated in the NT, and we are already in God’s rest, as we are justified in His sight through Christ
The “practice” of Sabbath should still remain significant in our lives and in community
And therefore, we worship together on “Resurrection Sunday” every week to worship with thanksgiving for the rest we have been given and to learn to live that out.
We remember it is Christ who sets us apart because of His death and resurrection
We come together to acknowledge that fullness/completeness, life is only found in him.
And so we look to live out God’s creative purposes and restore them through our work, actions and ultimately through the good news
C. Now and not yet vs 11
Strive (pursue with all your might) to enter that rest
Endurance/perseverance - not working for the rest but remaining faithful to the one who has purchased our rest
And to live out our rest together
“Proclaiming the Lord’s death until He comes”
When our justification and sanctification both become complete
And all creation is restored to what it once was and perhaps more because Christ will be in our midst eternally
And so Jesus says, “come to me all who are...”
Conclusion