Do you observe the Sabbath?
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being particularly germane to the topic, we should look at this soberly, with its context.
i'll quote it here and then go over it in a post or two afterwards, because it is a lot of text.
i'll quote it here and then go over it in a post or two afterwards, because it is a lot of text.
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”
Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
Do not harden your hearts.”
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
(Hebrews 3:7-4:11)
(Hebrews 3:7-4:11)
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No that’s all wrong if it contradicts the commandment in Hebrews 4.
“Make every effort” is a command. That means it isn’t optional. No one is going to make the effort for you to take your required Sabbath-rest. The example of disobedience of those who perished is in Psalm 95 and that’s what we want to avoid.
9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
“Make every effort” is a command. That means it isn’t optional. No one is going to make the effort for you to take your required Sabbath-rest. The example of disobedience of those who perished is in Psalm 95 and that’s what we want to avoid.
9There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God; 10for anyone who enters God’s rest also rests from their works, just as God did from his. 11Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience.
Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,
In the day of trial in the wilderness,
Where your fathers tested Me, tried Me,
And saw My works forty years.
Therefore I was angry with that generation,
And said, ‘They always go astray in their heart,
And they have not known My ways.’
So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest.’ ”
the scripture begins this subject of 'rest' quoting Psalm 95:7-11, and the topic of the Psalm is certainly not the weekly ceremonial cessation of certain activities: it is the judgement against Israel who wandered for 40 years in the wilderness grumbling against God and accusing Him of bringing them out of Egypt only to kill them in the desert, that that generation would not enter Canaan - save Joshua & Caleb.
this is the setting and the context: Psalm 95:7-11
Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called “Today,” lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
the scripture re-emphasizes the word "today" over and over through this passage. it is the "today" that the Spirit is speaking of, and teaching us from the Psalm the meaning of that day. He is admonishing us to be not like those who wandered in the wilderness incurring His wrath.
naturally, we should ask why they fell under His wrath? is it because they weren't ceasing from certain activities every week? well, no. 2 proofs: for one thing, the whole congregation stoned to death anyone caught working on the sabbath day. anyone 'breaking the sabbath' of the Law was put to death per Numbers 15. for a second -- what does the scripture itself say?
"lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief" -- it is not 'failure to keep the letter of the sabbath commandment' but unbelief, that is given as the reason.
reinforcing this second point, He says exhort one another while it is called "Today" - not every saturday, but "today"
there is no reference to Exodus 20:8 here at all. the reference is to Psalm 95, which references the unbelief of those who were consigned to wander for 40 years, and the 'rest' spoken of in Psalm 95 is not Exodus 20:8 - for they were certainly permitted to cease from certain activities once per week! - the 'rest' is the entering into the land of promise.
so we see God's rest being equivocated with entering Canaan, and failure to enter His rest coupled with unbelief.
no mention of works or cessation of works at all: this is about belief.
that is the context.
For we have become partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end, while it is said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
Do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”
the Spirit continues to reinforce this theme of "Today" -- repeating it a 3rd time. He says, we are partakers with Him if we hold firm our confidence - a mental property, not a physical property. this is talking about belief, in place of unbelief.
again, the Psalm is speaking of people who did not enter rest because of their unbelief - not because of their failure to keep the letter of a law whose punishment was death. those who broke that law, died. those who did not break the law but had hearts of unbelief are the people we are being cautioned against imitating: it is their unbelief that kept them from entering God's rest, and what the Spirit is saying here in Hebrews is coupling His rest with the entering into Canaan, not with Exodus 20:8. Exodus 20:8 has not been referenced at all thus far. it is not the context.
For who, having heard, rebelled? Indeed, was it not all who came out of Egypt, led by Moses? Now with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He swear that they would not enter His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.
again the Spirit couples the idea of rest with the idea of entering the promised land. again the Spirit couples failure to rest with unbelief.
no mention of Exodus 20:8 whatsoever.
the context is belief leads to rest, and unbelief results in failure to enter that rest.
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On the subject of rest.
What rest is referred to in the following verses?
Hebrews 4:1-3
Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who listened with faith. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said.
If the rest referred to above is the weekly sabbath?
How can there be a promise of entering His sabbath rest?
The verses say, "For we who have believed enter that rest..."
What rest is the verse above referring to?
What rest is referred to in the following verses?
Hebrews 4:1-3
Therefore, we must fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also did; but the word they heard did not benefit them, because they were not united with those who listened with faith. For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said.
If the rest referred to above is the weekly sabbath?
How can there be a promise of entering His sabbath rest?
The verses say, "For we who have believed enter that rest..."
What rest is the verse above referring to?
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Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.
the Spirit goes on to speak of His rest.
remember, Exodus 20:8 is not the context whatsoever. it has not even been hinted at. this is being drawn from Psalm 95, and speaks of those who wandered in the wilderness for 40 years instead of entering Canaan -- because of their unbelief.
this has nothing to do with lack of law-keeping, it is about belief: as the Spirit expressly states here again saying the word they heard did not profit them because it was not mixed with faith in them.
the problem isn't lack of ceremonial activity-cessation. the problem is lack of faith.
that is what the Spirit is expressly warning us about: to remain steadfast in our confidence - what confidence? i don't have time or space to prove this to you from the rest of Hebrews, and i dare say i shouldn't have to: the confidence of our salvation through Christ's perfect, once and for all time sacrifice for us. we must believe this and cling to it, a sure hope, not wavering in doubt, thinking we must add to it - lest we, like Paul writes elsewhere, make Christ of no effect, seeking to be justified through keeping the law.
For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said:
“So I swore in My wrath,
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”
‘They shall not enter My rest,’ ”
here this is plain as day. we who believe enter His rest. whoever does not believe, incurs His wrath and will not enter His rest.
believe what?
the gospel. "for indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them" -- what gospel? that He is our salvation.
they did not enter Canaan because they feared the heathen dwelling in it, not trusting God.
we must instead trust God -- trust in Christ's work on our behalf, in His faithfulness, in His great grace demonstrated to us by what He did.
this is not written of here in any sense whatsoever as a physical activity or non-activity. this, this whole context, has been a mental property: belief vs unbelief. we enter His rest through belief. we fail to enter it through unbelief.
let me reiterate what has been demonstrated simply by reading the text:
the context is Psalm 95, not Exodus 20:8
His rest is likened to entering the land of promise, vis-a-vis salvation & steadfast confidence.
failing to enter it is a matter of unbelief, not lack of obedience to the law whose penalty was immediate physical death.
although the works were finished from the foundation of the world. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”
now for the first and only time the sabbath day is mentioned in this passage, as an example to illustrate what the Spirit has already been pounding into our heads. the Spirit says that the 'rest' in the sabbath commandment of the Law is speaking of the same thing as Psalm 95, but that is demonstrably not speaking of the works of the law but of the rest that is in belief.this is reinforced in that He says, 'although the works were finished from the foundation of the world' - and when were we chosen in Him? from the foundation of the world, Ephesians 1:4. and when was the Lamb slain? from the foundation of the world, Revelation 13:8. and when were His works finished? when the Lamb was slain, John 19:30
are we saying that all this previous discussion of Psalm 95 has really been about a ceremonial weekly remembrance of His works being finished? is Exodus 20:8 greater than The "One greater than the temple?" ((Matthew 12:6))
God forbid!
the scripture is testimony of Christ, not of Exodus 20:8 -- and the Spirit has written over and over in the preceding verses, of "today" and of failure to enter His rest because of unbelief. this is about Christ, who is the subject of the entire epistle. this is about believing in Him vs. not believing in Him - in trusting steadfastly in Him vs. lacking faith and turning to other means of justifying ourselves, as though Christ Himself has not justified us by His blood.
and the Spirit goes on:
Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today,” after such a long time, as it has been said:
“Today, if you will hear His voice,
Do not harden your hearts.”
Do not harden your hearts.”
'since it remains some must enter' He says. now what is that talking about? some indeed entered Canaan - even Joshua & Caleb from that generation wicked in their unbelief! and their children, and children's children, lived in it. so what is He saying, it remains some must enter? this is not about the physical land of Canaan, but about salvation. it remains that some must enter Salvation.
and the Spirit expressly says, that generation - that generation which did indeed literally keep the ceremonial sabbath laws - did not enter "His rest" because of disobedience.
so we see now "His rest" is clearly being equivocated with salvation, and disobedience with unbelief. disobedience then, to what? to the command, repent and believe, and be baptized: for this is how Christ bids us enter in & be partakers with Him: believe on the LORD Jesus Christ, and you will be saved.
not, 'keep Exodus 20:8 and you will be saved' -- the gospel is grace through faith, apart from works, and that is exactly what is being preached by the Spirit here in these two chapters.
note that He writes again "Today" -- noticing a theme yet? and He says, this is a certain day God has now designated, long after they failed to enter salvation by unbelief in the wilderness. "Today"
is "today" equivalent to a 7-day cycle of ceremonial cessation of certain activities??
no! that is not the context at all, and if it were, then another day would never have been designated: but the Spirit expressly says, again, He designates a certain day, calling it "Today"
this "Today" is not ever saturday. this "TODAY" is "if you will hear His voice" -- now go back to Psalm 95: Who is the speaker saying if you will hear "His" voice, 3rd person? it is the LORD God - for He says, "I swore in My wrath" -- yet He speaks of another, saying "His voice" -- whose voice? the voice of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world, the works being complete, saying "It is finished"
the context is salvation, and the context is belief, and the context is Jesus Christ's finished work on the cross.
it is not Exodus 20:8
it is John 19
finally, the contextless cherry-picked verse, but now with an understanding of its context:
if the Law had given them rest, Joshua would not have had to bring them into Canaan, and if crossing the Jordan river had given them rest, God would not have afterward spoken of "another day"
let that phrase sink in: "another day"
this is what The Spirit calls it.
we fail to enter if we are in unbelief.
we enter if we believe.
believe what? in being justified by keeping a ceremonial law? no, by believing in the finished work of God in Christ Jesus.
there remains a rest for us: a salvation remains for His people, and that salvation is Jesus Christ, not Exodus 20:8
if we have become partakers in Him -- through belief, as it is written here -- then we have entered His rest; we have been saved and that salvation is a steadfast confidence, not an iffy maybe that hinges on Exodus 20:8. if we think we must add to it, we are in unbelief, not having rest, but performing our own works, having no confidence in Him, but always working at ceremonial non-action ((for example))
let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest -- the rest that is through belief
lest we fall, "according to the same example" -- what example? the example of unbelief - the Spirit has expressly said this and signified it over and over and over throughout this passage.
Hebrews 3-4 is absolutely not about Exodus 20:8
it is about Salvation through unwavering belief in the redemption faithfully worked by Jesus Christ, taught through Psalm 95
For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.
if the Law had given them rest, Joshua would not have had to bring them into Canaan, and if crossing the Jordan river had given them rest, God would not have afterward spoken of "another day"
let that phrase sink in: "another day"
this is what The Spirit calls it.
There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.
all throughout this, the Spirit is teaching from Psalm 95, not from Exodus 20 -- "a rest" is speaking of entering the promised land, which is in type, entering Salvation in Christ. context demands this; context expressly states this.we fail to enter if we are in unbelief.
we enter if we believe.
believe what? in being justified by keeping a ceremonial law? no, by believing in the finished work of God in Christ Jesus.
For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.
this speaks of having having entered His rest -- past tense. and that rest, as is demonstrated, is salvation in Christ.there remains a rest for us: a salvation remains for His people, and that salvation is Jesus Christ, not Exodus 20:8
if we have become partakers in Him -- through belief, as it is written here -- then we have entered His rest; we have been saved and that salvation is a steadfast confidence, not an iffy maybe that hinges on Exodus 20:8. if we think we must add to it, we are in unbelief, not having rest, but performing our own works, having no confidence in Him, but always working at ceremonial non-action ((for example))
Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.
amenlet us therefore be diligent to enter that rest -- the rest that is through belief
lest we fall, "according to the same example" -- what example? the example of unbelief - the Spirit has expressly said this and signified it over and over and over throughout this passage.
Hebrews 3-4 is absolutely not about Exodus 20:8
it is about Salvation through unwavering belief in the redemption faithfully worked by Jesus Christ, taught through Psalm 95
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i will say it again, @Runningman -- if you been convinced that Hebrews 4 is about Exodus 20:8, you are missing the context; you are not understanding what is being said in this epistle.
it is absolutely not about keeping the law. it is about believing in Christ.
it is absolutely not about keeping the law. it is about believing in Christ.
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please see posts # 906, 908, 912 & 913
i'm sorry it took a while to write so they aren't concurrent, others were posting while i was walking through the context
the rest is Salvation in Christ.
we who have believed enter, we who believe have entered.
the topic of the Bible is not Exodus 20:8
the topic of the Bible is Jesus Christ
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Mat 5:17-19
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
1Co 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Jas 2:10-12
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Mat 19:17 And he said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God: but if thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
1Co 7:19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God.
Jas 1:25 But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.
Jas 2:10-12
10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. 11 For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak ye, and so do, as they that shall be judged by the law of liberty.
1Jn 5:2 By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments.
Rev 14:12 Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus.
Rev 22:14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.
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Trust in Jesus's gift. AMEN.
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Contintue in sin ??
Sin is the transgression of the law.
1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Jesus came to save us from sin. By faith in what Jesus has done we can be free from the sin.
Do you think we should continue in sin and have faith in grace? ???
Rom 3:31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.
Rom 6:1 What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?
Contintue in sin ??
Sin is the transgression of the law.
1Jn 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.
Jesus came to save us from sin. By faith in what Jesus has done we can be free from the sin.
Do you think we should continue in sin and have faith in grace? ???
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