“Finding the Sabbath Rest in Christ” Hebrews 3:7-4:11

Introduction

The issue of rest and the Sabbath is important to God. We have looked at the fact that God considered His rest significant enough that it was recorded intentionally in Genesis 2:2. This Sabbath rest was important enough that God included it in the Ten Commandments and elsewhere in the Mosaic Law. It was significant enough that God extended the idea of Sabbath rest to the land, not just living things. It was significant enough that God cited the failure to keep the Sabbath as a part of His warning through the prophet Isaiah of dire consequences for failure to keep the intent of the Sabbath rest. And we know that inspired David to write a psalm about resting in the Lord.

The reason God insisted on the Sabbath was to remind us that God is holy, that He is separate from all created things. It is also a time to remind us that we are holy, too, set apart by Him for His purpose and His glory. The land needs rest because it reminds us that we depend on the Lord for provision and for sustenance. It reminds us not to rely on material things, but to rely on God.

Today’s passage tells us how we enter the Sabbath rest that is so important to God.

Central Truth: The Sabbath rest comes only as we walk in obedience to the Father.

Finding the Sabbath rest means:

1. We share in Christ and hold firmly till the end (3:7-15)

The writer of Hebrews interwove the Old Testament with the Gospel, demonstrating through his writing that, in every way, the New Testament is superior to the Old Testament. He uses the Old Testament to show that Jesus is superior to angels, to the Law, to Moses and to the every other aspect of the Old Testament and the Law.

In the passage we look at today, the writer quotes from Psalm 95:7-11 to remind us that the people of Israel, having left Egypt and advancing to the Promised Land, were an obstinate and rebellious people. The people are described as rebellious with hardened hearts, testing and trying God, despite the testimony of God’s provision and guidance through the years of wandering. The writer, quoting the psalm, states God’s words, “That is why I was angry with that generation, and I said, ‘Their hearts are always going astray, and they have not known My ways.’ So I declared on oath in My anger, ‘They shall never enter My rest’” (Hebrews 3:10-11).

The point the writer is making is that the nation of Israel time and time again had the opportunity to see God working in their midst for their benefit, and yet all they could do is whine and doubt. Repeatedly throughout the journey from Egyptian slavery to the borders of the Promised Land, they turned a blind eye to God and His message to them.

As a result, God’s wrath burned against them. Their hearts always go astray, and they do not know His ways. God will not fellowship with those who consistently turn away from Him. Therefore, when the nation turned away from God when the spies brought their report from the land of Canaan, God condemned them to wander the desert, to never step foot on the land they so longed for, save for Caleb and Joshua and Moses.

Moses was denied the privilege when he, also upset and tired of the constant complaining, disobeyed God’s instructions. As a result, God denied Moses entry, but He did allow Moses to look into the Promised Land. He took him up on a mountain and showed Moses the land. Moses died on that mountain, and God buried His faithful servant there.

Moses entered God’s rest when Moses began his journey of faith at the burning bush. Joshua and Caleb entered the Promised Land, but they, too, entered God’s rest before they made that epic journey. They alone were faithful. They alone heard God’s message and turned toward Him.

2. We combine the message of God’s rest with faith (3:16-4:11)

The key verse in this passage is v. 3: “Now we who have believed enter that rest.”

Again, the writer returns to the disobedience of the nation of Israel, and he makes a point that these same people that God denies His rest as ones who were brought out of Egypt, wo wandered the wilderness and died in the desert. He makes the point that the promise of rest was not granted to them because of their lack of faith. That’s why v. 3 is so important.

The writer points out that God’s rest had been accomplished a long time ago, and he tells us that “God set a certain day, calling it Today, for us to commit to Him.

Several years ago, I was speaking with the pastor of a couple of Methodist churches in Riesel. He had taken the youth of his church on a retreat and he asked them a question. He asked, “If you know without a doubt the date and the time that you would die, would you become a Christian now or wait until just before you died?” Almost every one of them opted for waiting. This greatly chagrined the minister, because he wondered what we had failed to teach our young people about the rest and the peace that comes from walking with God in close fellowship, in a Father-child relationship.

The point is that tomorrow is not the day to accept Christ, to walk in obedience with Him. Yesterday is too late. Today is the day we walk with Him, today is the day we learn from Him, today is the day we prepare for whatever tomorrow may bring our way. God is with us, and He gives us rest as we walk in faith with Him.

There are those who embrace yesterday. Like Bruce Springsteen sings about, they live in their “glory days.” They go back to the days when they were something, to a time when life was simpler and easier. Then there are those who focus on tomorrow. They imagine that new job just around the corner, or think of how to spend that lottery they are going to win any day now. While there’s nothing wrong in planning wisely for the future, knowing that our future is dependent upon God, there are major issues with living in the future or living in the past.

Today, we must hear His voice and Today we must follow Him with faith and confidence.

3. The promise of rest (Matthew 11:28-30)

In this short passage, there is so much hope, so much promise, so much comfort. In these three verses, Jesus extends an invitation to everyone in the world: “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” The invitation is universal—any and all who fit that description are invited—but it is also exclusive—rest is only found by those who turn to Jesus.

The rest that is promised is not work-free. We replace our burden and weariness for a yoke and learning from the One who is gentle and humble in heart. Jesus is the only One who can call Himself “humble” and not make it sound like a conceited remark. As we learn from His gentleness and humbleness, we again are promised rest for our souls.

The last line reminds us that we are yoked together with Him. There is still work to be done, but the load is light and easy, because He is doing the heavy lifting. He is the One who is leading the team. He is the One working through us and for us. When we come to Jesus, He removes the yoke of sin and oppression, and replaces it with peace, reconciliation, hope and rest.

Conclusion

As we have explored the Sabbath and rest, we come to this conclusion that is found in Matthew 11:28-30. The only way to enter the rest is to place our faith fully and only in Christ. By relying on Him, by relating to Him, by living with Him, we discover the life of rest and peace.