By ELDER DR MASIMBA MAVAZA
Lesson 5
Memory Text: “There remains therefore a rest for the people of God” (Hebrews 4:9, NKJV).
INTRODUCTION
Hebrews 1 and 2 focused on the enthronement of Jesus as the Ruler and Liberator of God’s people. Hebrews 3 and 4 introduce Jesus as the One who will provide rest for us. This progression makes sense once we remember that the Davidic covenant promised that God would give the promised king and his people “rest” from their enemies (2 Sam. 7:10, 11). This rest is available to us now that Jesus is seated at the right hand of God.
Hebrews describes the rest both as a rest that belongs to God and as a Sabbath rest (Heb. 4:1-11). God made this rest, which was His, available to Adam and Eve. The first Sabbath was the experience of perfection with the One who made that perfection possible. God also promises a Sabbath rest because true Sabbath observance embodies the promise that God will bring that perfection back.
When we keep the Sabbath, we remember that God made perfect provision for us when He created the world and when He redeemed it at the cross. True Sabbath observance, however, besides first and foremost pointing us back to Creation, offers us a foretaste, in this imperfect world, of the future that God has promised.
SABBATH: In a world of restlessness, God gives rest. Our days are made up of long “to-do lists.” Enthroned as our Ruler & Liberator, Jesus gives us the break we need (Heb. 1, 2, & 3, 4). Christ promised Israel “rest” from their enemies in the Davidic covenant (2 Sam. 7:10, 11). This rest belongs to God & is the Sabbath rest (Heb. 4:1-11). Adam & Eve partook of this rest & we are too. It points to God as the Creator.
SUNDAY: The end goal of this rest is to draw all men to God. Israel in Egypt did not have peace & rest to worship God. The Promised Land was a place of rest God gave to Israel. Here, they could spend time with their families & above all have an intimate relationship with God (Gen. 15:13-21, 11:31-12:4, Exod. 8:1, 5:5, 19:4; Ps. 105:43-45). The land was to be free from idols (Exod. 20:8-11, Deut. 5:12–15).
MONDAY: The first crop of Israel who were saved from slavery did not enter Canaan. At the border of the land, they maximized their fear in “giants” & minimized their faith in God (Heb. 3:12-19, Num. 13, 14; 13:32). Joshua & Caleb showed faith in God who saved them in Egypt (Num. 14:7-9, Exod. 7-12, 16, 17, 40:36-38, Neh. 9:15-17, Ps. 106:24-26, 1 Cor. 10:5-10, see Heb. 4:2, 3:13, 10:24, 12:15).
TUESDAY: Repeatedly, God bid the Israelites to enter His rest but they disobeyed. God’s promise of rest is everlasting & applies to us (Heb. 4:4-8; vs. 1, 3, 4, 6, 9; Ps. 95). God invites us “today” to enjoy His rest. In the Bible, today means “now”—a time of decision & a moment of reflection (Deut. 5:3, 4:8, 6:6, 11:2-7, 5:1-3, Josh. 24:15). “Today” is a time of opportunity & danger too (2 Cor. 6:2, Heb. 3:7, 15; 4:7).
WEDNESDAY: The Sabbath is a call for us to ponder on Creation & Redemption. God made the world & saved Israel from slavery. He will come again to redeem His people from sin (Heb. 3:11, 4:1, 3, 5, 10, Exod. 20:8-11, 31:18; 34:27). It was only when Christ had secured our well-being that He rested (John 19:30, Gen. 2:1-3, Heb. 4:9-11, 16, 1 Kings 4:21-25, Exod. 15:18-21, Deut. 11:24, 2 Sam. 8:1-14).
THURSDAY: On looking back, we are to remember God’s saving act in our lives & celebrate Him. Paul also adds that we’re to look to the future Sabbath rest awaiting us. Thus, keeping the Sabbath here is a foretaste of the perfect rest when God makes all things anew (Exod. 20:8-11, Deut. 5:12-15, Heb. 4:8-11). The Sabbath celebrates God’s victories in the past & His promises in the future. It’s joyful!
FRIDAY: Undoubtedly, the early church kept the Sabbath day. Paul uses Sabbath rest as a symbol of God’s saving grace & not Sunday. But men such as Constantine made Sunday a rest day. Ignatius Antioch also made the Sabbath a symbol of allegiance to Judaism. Thus, men changed God’s mark of creation. The Sabbath points to God’s power & grace. It tells us of the peace found only in Christ.
—Jacques B. Doukhan, Israel and the Church: Two Voices for the Same God (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2002), p. 42 & Israel and the Church, pp. 41–45.
Keywords
Additional texts for Tuesday- We can bodly approach the throne of God because Jesus defeated our enemies & serves as our High Priest (Heb. 2:14–16, 8-10, 4:14-16).
Captions
SUNDAY- The Land as a Place of Rest
MONDAY- Because of Unbelief
TUESDAY- Today, If You Hear His Voice
WEDNESDAY- Entering Into His Rest
THURSDAY- A Foretaste of New Creation
Discussion Questions
📌 What is the relationship between Sabbath observance and justification by faith?
📌 What is the difference between true observance of the Sabbath and a legalistic observance of the Sabbath? How can we not only know the difference but also experience that difference in our own Sabbath observance?
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