Saturday, October 26, 2013
Waking Up To Rest
This morning my daughter was knocking at our bedroom door. It was a little early, but she wanted breakfast. I told my wife to sleep in and I would make her breakfast. After getting things around and sitting down to type this post, it occurred to me that what we really do on the sabbath morning is wake up to rest. If the sabbath is the day of rest, then it is something we are to intentionally do. It is the purpose of the day.
It also made me think about all the years that I did not rest. For so many years I spent my time either working or just doing my own thing. It wasn’t like I sat down and consciously said, “I am not going to consider what God wants, I will just do what I want.” No, it was more like not being aware. Or maybe like being in a fog or something. No, it was more like being asleep. Then, I woke up.
When we wake up to God’s calling us, it can be truly amazing! God created us and calls us to be with Him and like Him. If we think about it, it makes sense that the Creator would certainly create on purpose with a purpose. We see this over and over again in scripture. Even Paul speaks of this in his letter to the Hebrews. In the first eight verses of Hebrews 4 we read,
Hebrews 4:1 Let us therefore fear, lest, a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it.
2 For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.
3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.
4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh day on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.
5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into my rest.
6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:
7 Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, To day, after so long a time; as it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.
8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.
Paul cautions us to believe and trust in God. He is making reference here to the children of Israel when they were in the desert constantly complained and talked about how God had brought them out to die. They did not have faith (which includes trust) in God. God calls the rest that He is calling us to eventually a place in verse four. All of this is to tell us that there is a rest we have to get to by faith. But what is this talk of rest leading up to here? The answer is found in the next verse, which begins with “Therefore.”
Hebrews 9:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.
Here is the interesting part. The word for rest in verse nine is not the same as the other places where the word rest appears. In fact, they are all the same except here. The word here for rest, in the Greek, is the word “sabbath”, or more accurately, “certain sabbath” referring to the sabbath that is the seventh day. Paul is saying that to get to the rest that we long for at the end of time takes faith, therefore keep the sabbath. In fact, he says we must make an effort to enter into that rest in the end by faith, which he has now tied to keeping the sabbath, when he addresses the effort needed in verse eleven.
Hebrews 4:11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.
Let’s work as best we can at entering into that future rest by faith, by believing and trusting God that His statutes and commands are true. Let’s enter into the sabbath today on purpose.
Prayer
Father, we praise You as the Most High God. Thank You for taking care of us and for that promised rest that is coming. Please help us to learn to trust in You. Please help us to know that we will be with You. Please touch our hearts as we rest unto You in faith today. In Yeshua’s (Jesus’) name. Amen.