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Sabbath Bible Study

In Hebrew sabbath means to rest. God has made us a promise of rest but it is up to us to claim it. The sabbath is not a certain day of the week because Jesus Christ has become our sabbath. We can have the true sabbath that God promised us everyday if we like or we can set aside a certain day. God tells us there are certain things we must do before we can enter His rest. So lets go to His word and read how we can get true rest for our souls.

Hebrews 4:1-13

V1 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.

God gave us a promise of rest, it is up to us to claim it.

V2 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.

The gospel or good news is preached to believers and unbelievers alike. It does not do the unbelievers any good because they don't have faith. If we want to enter His rest, we need to have faith.

V3 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.

The believers are able to enter into His rest if we claim the promise that was made. The works of that rest, salvation in Jesus Christ, were finished from the creation of the earth.

V4 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.

We count our days different than God does so this is not talking about one of our days of the week. A day with God is a thousand years.

2 Peter 3:8
V8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.

V5 And in this place again, If they shall enter into My rest.

God wants us to enter in to His rest but we must claim the promise to do so. We can do that by having faith and reading His word.

V6 Seeing therefore it remaineth that some must enter therein, and they to whom it was first preached entered not in because of unbelief:

Some people must enter the rest that God offers, they don't have a choice. The people that must enter in are chosen by God. They are God's elect. Everyone else has a choice to enter the rest but many don't because they don't have faith. Another word that can be used for unbelief is disobedience. If we are not following the word of God, we are being disobedient and will not enter into His rest.

V7 Again, He limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear His voice, harden not your hearts.

This is quoting form Psalms 95:7-8 It goes on to say how Israel tempted God in the wilderness. God was grieved with that generation because of their disobedience. That generation did not enter into God's rest, they died in the wilderness. The point is to open up our hearts to God and His word and do not be disobedient.

V8 For if Jesus had given them rest, then would He not afterward have spoken of another day.

Jesus in this verse properly transliterated is Joshua. Joshua was the one that brought the children of Israel into the promised land. Joshua was a type of our true rest, Jesus Christ.

V9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

The word rest in this verse is from the Greek word sabbaton which means sabbath. This is the only time it is used in the chapter. Our true sabbath is Jesus Christ. Only Christ is able to save our soul and give us true rest. We can have that rest today if we have faith, read His word and are not disobedient to the Lord. We learn that Christ is also our passover in I Corinthians 5:7

I Corinthians 5:7
V7 Purge out therefore the old leaven, that ye may be a new lump, as ye are unleavened. For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:

V10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God did from His.
V11 Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

How do we enter His rest? Labour. The word labour in Greek is spoudazo (spoo-dad'-zo) and means to use speed, i.e. to make effort, be prompt or earnest. We need to make an effort to increase our faith in Jesus Christ. We can do that by studying the word of God. We must also make an effort to obey God and not be disobedient. If we want true rest, this is the way to get it.

V12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The word quick is zao (dzah'-o) and means to live. The word of God is alive and will help us to divide our flesh thoughts from our spiritual thoughts. It will teach us how to live and act as God would want us to. The word discerner is kritikos (krit-ee-kos') and means decisive ("critical"), i.e. discriminative. God's word is to be our judge, we are not to judge God's word. God's word will judge our intermost thoughts and intents.

V13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.

God sees and knows everything we do. Their is nothing that anyone can do that is hidden from our Father.

Lets read what Jesus Christ has to say about the sabbath and rest.

Mark 2:27-28
V27 And He said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:
V28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Jesus Christ tells us that He is Lord of the sabbath. He is the possessor of it and has control over it. Christ has become our sabbath. He is the promise of rest that God has made to us. We can only get true rest for our body and soul from Jesus Christ. We can work at getting this rest today by having faith and reading the word of God.

Matthew 11:28-30
V28 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
V29 Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.
V30 For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light.

Christ tells us to go to Him for our rest. The word yoke is zugos (dzoo-gos') and means (to join, especially by a "yoke"); a coupling. We are to join together with Christ and learn from Him. That is done by having faith and reading God's word. We do these things along with being obedient, we will get our rest. You can count on it, it is a promise from God.

A few more things I'd like to cover.

Colossians 2:8-17

V8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Don't just believe what people tell you about God's word, always go to God's word and let that be the judge. Don't fall for the latest new religion that somebody comes up with. Christianity is not a religion but a reality. Jesus Christ was real and to be a Christian we need to follow Him and not the traditions of men. As we get closer to the return of Jesus Christ, more people are going to be claiming to have the latest new 'thing' about God's word. Don't believe them and always check out what they say in God's word for yourself. This goes for my studies as well as anything else somebody might tell you about the word of God. It's your eternal life that's on the line and you owe it to yourself to make sure what people tell you lines up with what God said.

V9 For in Him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
V10 And ye are complete in Him, Which is the head of all principality and power:

We are complete in Christ Who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Our Father is in control of all things.

V11 In Whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

This is talking about a circumcision of our mind. We need to change the way we think and act in the flesh. We need to act more like God would want us to and we do that by following the example of Jesus Christ. We should not harden our hearts to Christ and His teachings. We need to open our hearts to Christ and make a effort to follow Him.

V12 Buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, Who hath raised Him from the dead.
V13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

We are spiritually made alive with our faith that God raised Christ from the dead.

V14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross;

All the blood ordinances and sacrifices were done away with when Christ was nailed to the cross.

V15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Jesus Christ triumphed over Satan in His daily life and in being raised from the dead. He defeated death which is Satan.

V16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
V17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

The sabbath days were just a shadow of our true rest, Jesus Christ. Only Christ can save our soul and give us rest.

Jesus Christ has become our sabbath and we can have that rest everyday of the week if we want, it's up to us. We need to have faith, an open mind and work to get His rest. Read God's word and claim the promise of rest that He made to us. If you would like to set aside a day of the week to do this, there is nothing wrong with that. But remember that mankind gave the days of the week names, not God. Also, with God a day is a thousand years so saying a certain day is the sabbath just don't work. Our sabbath is Jesus Christ. We should enter our sabbath everyday.

posted 1-17-99