GOD’S REST
CHRISTIANITY OASIS HAS PROVIDED YOU WITH THIS GODS REST STUDY. MOST HAVE HEARD OF THE PHRASE GODS REST IN THE BIBLE ... BUT DO NOT KNOW EXACTLY WHAT GODS REST TRULY MEANS AND HOW GODS REST AFFECTS US. DID YOU KNOW THAT GODS REST IS THE MAIN GOAL OF THE CHRISTIAN WALK? LET US SEEK AND FIND THE TRUTH OF GODS REST TOGETHER, SHALL WE?

THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS

CHAPTER 4

          Welcome back! When we left off in our study, Paul was talking about entering into God’s Rest. What is God’s Rest? Let’s take a look all the way back to the second chapter of the book of Genesis.

Genesis 2:3

And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it:

because that in it He had rested from all His work which God created and made.

          Soooooooooooooo, God’s rest is the Sabbath. Most people think of the Sabbath as Sunday, because the beginning of their work week is on Monday, however, if you look at a calendar, the first day of the week is Sunday. The Jewish people celebrate the Sabbath from sundown on Friday until sundown on Saturday. So Saturday is the Jewish Sabbath. Sunday ... Is the Lord's Day, the day Jesus was resurrected. Just a lil Daily Bread stick for ya.

Holy Days (Jewish Holidays) are shadows of events to come.
Colossians 2:16-17

The Sabbath Day is really a shadow of God’s rest, which is also called the Millennium. To explain this, here is an excerpt from our End Times web site called Feast Shadows that will help you to understand.

WORK SIX DAYS, REST ON THE SEVENTH

and

then
Mankind must "work" for 6 days or 6000 years and then will rest for 1000 years.

SO THIS HOLY DAY CALLED SABBATH IS A SHADOW OF THE EVENT KNOWN AS THE MILLENNIUM, WHICH IS ALSO GOD’S REST

Again ... There are many of these “shadows” in the Bible. You can study more about them at the Feast Shadows page. Now let’s get back to Paul’s letter.

Let us therefore take care not to fall short

of the promise being left to us of entering into His rest.

For to us (the Hebrews of Paul’s generation) the Gospel was preached,

as well as to them (the children of Israel in the wilderness):

but the Word preached did them no good,

because those who heard it didn’t also have Faith.

For we which have believed do enter into rest,

as He said,

As I have sworn in my wrath,

Psalms 95:11

although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

For He spoke in a certain place (Genesis 2:2) of the seventh day in this manner,

And God did rest the seventh day from all His works.
And in this place again (Psalms 95:11), If they shall enter into my rest.

Now, there’s no doubt that Paul is giving us understanding of God's plan ...

Seeing therefore it remains (it is yet to happen)

that some must enter in,

and they to whom God’s rest was first preached

did not enter in because of unbelief:

Again, He appoints a certain day, saying in David,

Today, after so long a time; as it is said,

Today if you will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.

Psalms 95:7

          If it happens today, that you hear the voice of the Lord . . . Believe! If you will listen today, and hear Him, don’t turn your heart away, as those in the wilderness did. If you have an empty magnet on your refrigerator, a good verse to remind you of this is Jeremiah 33:3. Back to Paul.

For if Jesus had given them rest,

For he that is entered into His rest,

he also has rested from his own works,

as God did from His.

Revelation 14:13

Let us strive therefore to enter into that rest, (Millennium)

So that no man strays after the same example of unbelief.

For the Word of God is living, and powerful,

and sharper than any two edged sword,

piercing even to the division of soul and spirit,

and of the joints and marrow,

and is able to judge the thoughts and intents of the heart.

          How powerful is Jesus? The Word of God, which is Jesus, is alive and powerful and sharper than any two edged sword. Back in those days, a two edged sword was probably the most powerful weapon that mankind knew of. They didn’t have guns or missiles or cannons yet, and certainly not any weapons of mass destruction like there are today. Only spears and arrows and swords. If Paul were writing this epistle today, he would say that the Word of God is living and powerful and more explosive than a nuclear bomb. So piercing in fact, that it can divide the soul from the spirit (no sword or nuclear weapon can do that), it can split apart the joints and marrow (in other words, it can rip bones apart), and it can tell your thoughts and intentions of your heart.

          Just to be sure you understand this power of the Word of God, in the book of Revelation 19:15, 21, it says that out of Jesus’ mouth goes a sharp sword that He uses to smite the nations and rule them. Jesus is the Word, the sword is TRUTH. In other words, the words of Jesus are so powerful, that He doesn’t need worldly weaponry, just TRUTH, to overcome evil.

          Got off on a little tangent there, but sometimes there are many different points that come to mind that are all fitting and important. But perhaps what Paul was really trying to point out was that the Hebrews (as well as we today) may have some beliefs that aren’t totally faithful to our cause, and we may procrastinate in our wavering about them, holding us back from the fullness of Faith that will make us complete, but God knows what’s what. The Christian Hebrews had all the unbelieving Hebrews constantly pressuring them about their expanding Faith, so Paul was encouraging them not to lose heart like their ancestors did. We also, have pressure from peers, family, media, etc., that try and lure us away from being fully dedicated. Stand firm.

Neither is there any creature that is hidden from His sight:

but all things are naked and opened to the eyes of God.

Psalms 90:8

Seeing then that we have a great high priest,

that is ascended into the heavens,

which is Jesus the Son of God,

let us hold firmly (remain dedicated) to what we profess.

For we don’t have an high priest who can’t understand the feeling of our frailties; but was in all ways tempted just as we are, yet without sin.

Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of Grace,

that we may obtain mercy, and find Grace to help in time of need.

Do you love that last verse?! That’s what it’s all about. Whether you’re Jewish or Gentile, or polka dotted, God’s grace is really the answer to everything. Hope you’ll hurry back, so we can share more truth together with Paul, right here at Daily Bread.