THE YEAR OF REST

We have been speaking to you about observing what the Bible calls, The Sabbatical Year. The Sabbatical year operates much like the weekly Sabbath. However, instead of ‘man’ receiving rest every six days (as we find in the weekly Sabbath), during the Sabbatical year the ‘land’ receives rest every seventh year (, ).

Now, if we’re going to truly understand the message God is giving to us, we have to make sure that we are hearing with spiritual ears. The Sabbatical year was a part of the Law given to Israel in the Old Testament. As New Testament believers we are not under the Old Testament Law. That doesn’t mean that the Law has no importance to us. It means that whatever we are to learn from the Law we have to make sure we interpret it in light of the New Testament.

There’s a segment of Christianity that has forgotten this fact. They believe that it necessary to observe the Law just as it is prescribed in the Old Testament. Therefore, they tell us that we’re Law breakers if we don’t keep the Sabbath by resting every seventh day. However, they fail to realize that the things revealed to us in the Old Testament are only shadows (, ).

A shadow is not real. In fact, it’s created because something is blocking your view from seeing the sun (Son). People who are hung up on shadows have not yet come to the light!

The point I’m trying to make is this—we can’t keep the weekly Sabbath (or Sabbatical year) the same way they kept it under the Old Testament, because they couldn’t yet see the sun (Son).

For example, under the Old Testament the Sabbatical year was observed by allowing the ‘land’ to rest for an entire year. In the New Testament the ‘land’ are God’s people (). Therefore, I believe God is saying that in 2019 we are to let the ‘people’ (congregation) lie still and rest!

What do we mean by ‘rest’? Do we mean inactivity?

TO REST IS TO CEASE FROM OUR WORKS ()

In Scripture ‘resting’ is equivalent to ceasing from our works. Instead of pressuring the people to produce through worldly/human tactics (tools), we’re going to allow the ground (just like it says concerning the Sabbatical year) to bring forth voluntarily (, ).

Are we saying our needs have changed this year? No, our needs are still the same. What has changed is how we will go about meeting those needs! When this year is over we will not be able to boast in our own ability (wisdom). Instead, we will boast in God’s ability/wisdom.

2019 will be the year we cease from our own works, and enter into God’s works. The reason the people could cease from working in the seventh year was because God had provided (, ). The people were able to rest in the seventh year because God has already provided for their needs in the previous year!

Have you noticed that ALL of the promises of God in the New Testament are spoken in the past tense?

Ephesians 1:3 KJV 1900

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:

Ephesians 2:8 NIV84

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—

Colossians 1:13 KJV 1900

Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

1 Peter 2:24 KJV 1900

Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

1Peter

Hebrews 10:14 KJV 1900

For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Hebrews 10:10 KJV 1900

By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

As an organization, we need to know that God has already provided for everything we will need this year!

TO REST IS TO BELIEVE ()

It’s not enough to say that God has provided for our needs. If we’re going to enter into His ‘rest’ (promises, provisions), then we must do more than simply cease from our works. We must believe.

We must believe that the thing(s) we would normally be working to achieve/accomplished is already finished/accomplished by God! It’s not those who cease from working in 2019 that will experience the Sabbatical year. It’s going to be those who believe.

Notice when we are to believe—when we ‘hear His voice’ (). We don’t believe when we ‘see His hand.’ We believe when we ‘hear His voice’ or His promises (). Again, notice when we’re commanded to believe—when we pray.

Moreover, we don’t believe we WILL receive. Instead, we believe we HAVE received. Believing you will receive is hope. Hope looks ahead for something to come. Faith looks back at what has come (). Don’t look forward (hope) until you have first looked back (believed it is accomplished). Faith is the ‘substance’ (guarantee) of things to come (hoped for)!

When you know that something has been given, then you can with patience hope for it. Like a person on a life raft waiting to be rescued knowing their distress call has already been heard and answered!

TO REST IS NOT ABOUT BEING IDLE

We’ve talked about how resting is believing and ceasing from our works. However, it’s important to realize that resting is not ceasing from ALL work.

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Jesus never said that we are to cease from ALL works when we receive His rest. Instead, He commands us to ‘take up His yoke (work).’ But, don’t worry—His yoke (work) is easy!

Here Jesus reminds the Pharisees that the priests in the Old Testament kept the Sabbath by doing work in the Temple. In other words, they kept the Sabbath by doing the Lord’s work. We keep the Lord’s Sabbath by doing God’s work rather than our own pleasure ().

Entering into God’s Sabbath rest is less about being idle and more about not doing our own works. Yes, it’s about believing, but those who truly believe will do the works of God ().

Therefore, when we talk about entering into this Sabbatical year and allowing the land (people) to receive rest, we are talking about not requiring the people to do our pleasure. Instead, 2019 will be a year where the land (people) will be encouraged (allowed) to do that which pleases God!