Sabbath... rest for your souls

Hebrews 4     The Believer’s Rest

 Therefore, let us fear if, while a promise remains of entering His rest, any one of you may seem to have come short of it. ² For indeed we have had good news preached to us, just as they also; but the word they heard did not profit them, because it was not united by faith in those who heard. ³ For we who have believed enter that rest, just as He has said,

although His works were finished from the foundation of the world. ⁴ For He has said somewhere concerning the seventh day: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”; ⁵ and again in this passage, “They shall not enter My rest.” ⁶ Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷ He again fixes a certain day, “Today,” saying through David after so long a time just as has been said before,

⁸ For if Joshua had given them rest, He would not have spoken of another day after that. ⁹ So there remains a Sabbath rest for the people of God. ¹⁰ For the one who has entered His rest has himself also rested from his works, as God did from His. ¹¹ Therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall, through following the same example of disobedience. ¹² For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart. ¹³ And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

In this portion of scripture taken from today's reading in the One Year Bible chronological readings, the writer of Hebrews has been establishing the authority of Christ and the benefits of the new covenant over the old covenant. Chapter 4 begins with the idea of entering into God's rest. The writer alludes to the idea of a Sabbath rest. The word Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word Sabbat, which simply means rest. Under the law the Jewish people were required to keep the Sabbath day as a day set apart to God. There were strict rules concerning what work could be done on the Sabbath. This model of a day of rest is taken from the creation account when God rested on the seventh day after completing the work of creation. Now certainly God was not tired from that work, the Sabbath rest He took was more of a time to reflect and appreciate His creation.

While there is value for us in our lives to set aside time to reflect and appreciate God and His creation, we are no longer bound by the laws concerning the Sabbath. Jesus says this in Mark 2: ²³ And it happened that He was passing through the grainfields on the Sabbath, and His disciples began to make their way along while picking the heads of grain. ²⁴ The Pharisees were saying to Him, “Look, why are they doing what is not lawful on the Sabbath?” ²⁵ And He *said to them, “Have you never read what David did when he was in need and he and his companions became hungry; ²⁶ how he entered the house of God in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the consecrated bread, which is not lawful for anyone to eat except the priests, and he also gave it to those who were with him?” ²⁷ Jesus said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath. 

Jesus demonstrates this also, in this account of healing in Mark 3 He entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. ² They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. ³ He *said to the man with the withered hand, “Get up and come forward!” ⁴ And He *said to them, “Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?” But they kept silent. ⁵ After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He *said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. ⁶ The Pharisees went out and immediately began conspiring with the Herodians against Him, as to how they might destroy Him.

Jesus says and demonstrates that the Sabbath rest we are called to is more than a day set aside. I'm not saying that we should not have a day of worship and reflection on God's creation  and His goodness. But, the rest of God that we are called to is much more than that. The rest of God that we have in Christ is like what we see in Matthew 8:23-27

²³ When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. ²⁴ And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. ²⁵ And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” ²⁶ He *said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. ²⁷ The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

The rest of God that we have in Christ is a confidence that we have knowing that "even the wind and the sea obey Him".  It is a rest that allows us to sleep with Christ in peace even as the storms rage around us.

Jesus tells us how to find that rest in Matthew 11 He says:

Come to Me

²⁵ At that time Jesus said, “I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. ²⁶ Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. ²⁷ All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him.

²⁸ “Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

That's the rest of God, more than a physical rest, it is rest for your souls.