The Sabbath

Illustration: PTO’s

When we think about the 7th Day, we typically identify it as a Day of Rest or Recreation today, but why do we have a 7th Day that is identified this way?

When we think about the 7th Day, we typically identify it as a Day of Rest or Recreation today, but why do we have a 7th Day that is identified this way?

1. God made the 7th day to be distinct -

(i) What did God do to make this day distinct?

(a) He ended his work and rested.

(b) He blessed and made it holy or dedicated - HOW DID HE MAKE IT HOLY?

He rested from all that he had made.

It is important to realize that God was not fatigued. The idea here is that the 7th day had an activity that was unusual when compared to the first 6 days.

Illustration: do you know what makes June 2, 2001 distinct? It is not that we stopped working on that day, but the usual activity of the day was changed for me to engage in an activity that was sacred.

It is important to realize that God was not fatigued. The idea here is that the 7th day had an activity that was unusual when compared to the first 6 days.

Application:

Why not leave this to assumption? We can safely assume that if there is no active creation then there was nothing more done. Couple of reasons:

(1) This contradicts an evolutionary theory that continues to progress.

(2) This speaks to facts that modern science has determined that the human body needs a day of rest. see

2. After the Fall, God made the 7th day even more distinct

(i) God gives the 10 Commandments and includes one for the Sabbath Day - - God’s activity on the 7th Day was a hallowing activity.

(ii) As part of the Law, God institutes a Day of Atonement - , It is here were we first begin to understand that rest was directly associated with being in right relationship with the Lord.

Application:

The implication we begin to understand here is that God’s day of rest was no longer being hallowed by men.

What went wrong? Sin entered into the world.

Illustration: As part of our wedding anniversary, on our 5th anniversary I bought my wife a portrait that was numbered with our anniversary date. On one year, I bought her a anniversary ring. What are these but more tokens that make the date more distinct.

Now, those tokens do not make us to be married. They merely show that we are married, and that it happened on a certain date. In addition, those tokens do not mean that we are only married on those dates.

As we see what is unfolding with the day of rest: we learn more still, as part of the giving of the Law, we begin to see hints that true “rest” regardless of the day of the week came by the blood of atonement.

3. God uses the entire nation of Israel to illustrate the rest of the 7th day - ,

At the outset, we do not see a connection. We don’t see the Sabbath day mentioned, but we see “rest”.

Here God opens up a little more insight for the readers: Not only does God connect the blood of the atonement, but here we see that God’s people Israel could not enter into the “rest” of God because of their unbelief.

Application:

Thus far, we have seen that the 7th day was:

Hallowed by God’s activity on that day

Commanded (after the Fall) as part of the Ten Commandments

Connected with the Day of Atonement and the blood and the High Priest

Connected with the belief & unbelief of the children of Israel entering the Promised Land.

4. God later gives a song to show that the rest he offers is not just one day per week - there's more! -

The presumed writer of this Psalm is speaking in a present tense, as if entering into God’s rest is still possible. What is interesting about this is that the children of Israel were already in the land, and they had been there for many years.

Illustration:

Have you seen the “Copper” frying pans that are non-stick. Those commercials almost sell you on them right there, and just in case you are teeter tottering, they always have the “wait! there’s more line.”

Application:

The day of rest referenced here is something that is more than just a one day per week thing, but what could the writer be alluding to?

5. God provided a complete, eternal rest to be eagerly experienced now and in the future. -

(i) Tie together and .

(ii) Points out what we have all suspicioned that - entering the Promised Land was not the ultimate “rest”. There’s more.

(iii) Further confirms what we had suspicioned.

(iv) & are uniquely connected unmistakably.

There are no less than 21 verbal parallels between these two chapters

Most notably compare with

brings out the important truth of the High Priest & His Atoning work.

Illustration: We used to host a Live CLUE game here. The object of the game was to go through the process of elimination. As teams were going to the rooms, they would eliminate suspects, weapons, locations, and times. As the elimination worked its way out, their papers would eventually point to a primary suspect, with a primary weapon, in a primary room, at a primary time.

Here in the scriptures, all of the CLUES of the Sabbath point to One Suspect: Jesus Christ.

Jesus is our Rest!

Jesus is our High Priest

Jesus is our blood Atonement

Jesus is our Object of faith

Jesus is our Peace

Conclusion:

This Rest is one that is entered into when someone believes in Jesus Christ. ;

This Rest is a moment-by-moment present reality,

We must eagerly & intentionally believe. as we eagerly, zealously believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ. - ( - it is a confession of faith in Jesus Christ.)

We must exercise our confession. as we seize or arrest our profession (confession) - as the means of access to God.

We must assemble together. as we consider one another -

We must look to the return of Christ. as we see the day of Christ approaching -

Next time you think about the 7th Day - Will you please know that every day you have experienced what is already true:

(i) Believe what is true about Jesus - He is your rest

(ii) Exercise the access you have in Christ

(iii) Encourage each other in the assemblies

(iv) Do so more urgently as you await Jesus’ return.